POLL: American Jews are divided on Israel, safety, and politics
The AP-NORC poll says about 6 in 10 Jewish adults said prejudice against Jewish people is an "extremely" or "very" serious problem in the US
A new AP-NORC poll of more than 1,000 Jewish American adults found divided opinions on Israel's military actions in Gaza, concern over antisemitism, and low approval of how political leaders are supporting Jewish Americans. Eighty percent of respondents with a religious affiliation said Israel's immediate military response to the October 7 attack was justified. Still, only about half said Israel's ongoing military operations in Gaza are justified.
Among Jewish adults without a religious affiliation, only about half saw the immediate response as justifiable, and only about 2 in 10 said the ongoing operations are acceptable.
Regarding the belief of whether or not Israel has committed genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza, only 25% of religiously affiliated Jews say yes, compared to 40% of non-religious Jews.
About 6 in 10 Jewish adults said prejudice against Jewish people is an "extremely" or "very" serious problem in the US. About one-third said they feel "very" or "somewhat" safe as a Jewish person in the country today, while about one-third feel "very" or "somewhat" unsafe.
Thirty percent said they or someone in their household experienced physical assault, verbal abuse, online harassment, or property damage due to their Jewish background in the last year.
Suggested articles
Only about 2 in 10 Jewish adults said President Donald Trump supports Jewish people in the US "extremely" or "very" well. About 7 in 10 Jewish adults said they have a "very" or "somewhat" unfavorable opinion of Trump, compared to about 3 in 10 with a favorable view.
Roughly half of Jewish adults said protesting an event supportive of Israel is not a form of antisemitism, while roughly 40% said it is. A large majority agreed that vandalizing synagogues or Jewish-owned businesses over Israel's actions, denying the scope of the Holocaust, blaming American Jews for Israel's actions, or saying Israel shouldn't exist as a Jewish state all constitute antisemitism.
About half of religious Jewish adults 45 and older said supporting Israel is "extremely" or "very" important to their Jewish identity, compared to about 4 in 10 religious Jewish adults under 45. Younger Jewish adults were more likely to prioritize other forms of connection, with about 7 in 10 saying celebrating Jewish holidays is at least "very" important to their identity, compared to about half of older Jewish adults.