From the Liveblog of
Thursday, June 4, 2026
Pew survey finds world increasingly sour on Israel, Netanyahu
A Pew survey finds views of Israel continued to sink over the last year in several countries where most already held negative opinions of the country, including among allies such as the US and Germany.
From 2025 to 2026, the percentage of respondents who hold unfavorable views of Israel climbed by 9 points in Italy, Germany, Argentina and Nigeria. In Nigeria, unlike in most countries, positive feelings toward Israel continue to outpace negative ones.
The number climbed 10 percent in South Korea, while the UK saw an 8% jump and 7% more US respondents said they held unfavorable views of Israel.
Poland, Indonesia, South Africa, Australia and Canada all had unfavorable views rise by 5-8%, while Turkey, where 93% already held unfavorable views, saw that number climb to 97%.
The 2026 polling took place between February and May, a period in which the Iran war’s unpopularity may have contributed to people’s negative views of Israel.
Of the 36 countries included in the full survey, none have a majority who view Israel favorably, with Kenya the closest at 50%.
Kenya is also one of only two countries where a majority express confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at 56%. The other is the Philippines, at 53%. In Europe, Italy leads the way in expressing no confidence in Netanyahu, with 88% saying they don’t trust him. In the US, 59% say they don’t have confidence in the prime minister, while 27% do.
The survey was based on questions posed to over 3,500 respondents in 36 countries from February 8 to May 13.
The Times of Israel Community.