A Pew Research Center survey released on Thursday found that 44% of Muslim American respondents expressed a favorable opinion of Hamas, compared with 17% of Black Protestants and 2% of Jewish respondents.
The survey of 12,574 U.S. adults, conducted May 4-17, also found Americans now view Israelis and Palestinians nearly equally favorably overall, marking a significant shift from 2022, when Israelis were viewed much more positively.
Younger Americans were considerably more favorable toward Palestinians than Israelis. Among respondents under 30, 58% viewed Palestinians favorably, compared with 32% who said the same of Israelis. Among Democrats under 30, the gap widened to 72% versus 26%.
Favorable views of both the Israeli people and the Israeli government declined among Republicans and Democrats alike, though the drop was steeper among Democrats. Among Jewish respondents, 83% viewed the Israeli people favorably, down from 89% in 2024, while favorable views of the Israeli government fell from 54% to 47%. Jewish adults under 50 were less likely than older Jews to hold favorable views of either.
The survey also found that Muslim and religiously unaffiliated Americans were more likely than other religious groups to view Palestinians favorably and less likely to express favorable views of Israelis.
