46% of young Americans see relationship with Israel as a burden, 16% see it as beneficial — poll

By Luke Tress

You will receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

You will no longer receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

23 April 2026, 8:36 pm

Edit

Luke Tress is The Times of Israel's New York correspondent.

Illustrative: Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel demonstrators rally outside AIPAC headquarters and the offices of Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, who've both been endorsed by the group, in New York City, February 22, 2024. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images/ via JTA)

Young Americans, by a wide margin, see the US relationship with Israel as a burden, according to a Harvard Youth Poll.

The poll finds that 46% of respondents view the US-Israel relationship as “mostly a burden to the US,” while 16% see it as mostly beneficial.

Respondents are also critical of the relationship with Ukraine, with 31% seeing it as a burden and 21% as a benefit.

Large majorities see the US relationships with Canada, Mexico, and the European Union as beneficial.

Respondents are also opposed to the war with Iran — 55% say the conflict is not in the best interest of Americans, while 18% are in favor, and the remainder are unsure.

A majority believes the Iran war could escalate into a larger conflict, is concerned about the impact on the cost of living, and worries about a direct attack on the US homeland.

A 55% majority also believes that Iran poses a threat to the US. For other countries, 59% view Russia as a threat, 54% for China, and 51% for North Korea.

The poll surveyed 2,018 Americans between the ages of 18-29 from March 26 to April 3 and has a margin of error of 2.74%.