Global Survey: Majority in 36 Countries Hold Negative Views of Israel and Distrust Netanyahu

The US-based Pew Research Center has revealed the results of a comprehensive global survey showing that the vast majority of people in 36 countries worldwide hold negative attitudes towards Israel. The report issued by the institute also indicated that these countries are experiencing a state of deep distrust in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ability to manage international affairs.\n\nAccording to data collected by the institute between February and May of this year, the percentage of adults who hold a negative view of Israel reached approximately 67%, while the percentage of supporters did not exceed 25%. These results come in a sensitive time following military escalation in the region, which directly affected global public opinion.\n\nMuslim-majority regions recorded the highest levels of rejection of Israeli policies, with strong stances emerging in countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Malaysia. These negative attitudes also included residents of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, while the institute noted the impossibility of conducting the survey in the Gaza Strip due to security and field conditions.\n\nIn Europe, the results showed increasing negative evaluations, especially in countries like Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy, where half or more of adults expressed strong dissatisfaction with Israel. In contrast, some sub-Saharan African countries, such as Kenya, remained among the few regions that still held more positive views compared to the rest of the world.\n\nThe survey highlighted a clear generational gap in attitudes, with young people in North America and Europe tending to take tougher stances against Israel compared to older generations. In Hungary, for example, the rejection rate among young people under the age of thirty-four reached approximately 72%, a percentage significantly higher than that recorded among older age groups.\n\nOn the ideological front, the report revealed a sharp division between left-wing and right-wing currents, especially in the United States, Australia, and Greece. Within the US, 83% of those identifying as liberal expressed negative views towards Israel, while this percentage dropped to only 37% among conservatives, reflecting an increasing politicization of the Palestinian issue.\n\nThis year witnessed a significant shift in global public opinion compared to 2025 data, with negative sentiments increasing in 13 out of 24 countries for which previous data was available. In Argentina, the minority rejecting Israel shifted from 46% last year to become a majority comprising 55% of the total population in the latest survey.\n\nRegarding Benjamin Netanyahu's personality, the results confirmed that the majority of people in most surveyed countries do not trust his political decisions on the global stage. This lack of trust included major countries such as Germany, France, Canada, and the United Kingdom, where participants expressed deep doubts about his political wisdom and international orientations.\n\nKenya and the Philippines are the only exceptions in this survey, where more than half of the population still expresses confidence in the Israeli Prime Minister. Apart from these two countries, the general trend is towards a continuous decline in Netanyahu's popularity, especially among educated groups, youth, and political activists in the West.\n\nIn South Korea, the institute observed one of the largest changes in trust levels, with the percentage of those distrusting Netanyahu jumping from 64% last year to 76% currently. Analysts attribute this decline to the hardline military policies pursued by the current Israeli government, which are causing widespread international concern.\n\nThe report also indicated that the ideological gap in attitudes towards Netanyahu is clearly evident in high-income countries such as the Netherlands, Spain, and the United States. In these countries, the likelihood of distrusting the Israeli leader is at least 25 percentage points higher among those on the left compared to their counterparts on the political right.\n\nIn Italy, the survey recorded a significant increase in the percentage of those who "absolutely" distrust Netanyahu, reaching 62% compared to 45% in the previous year. This rapid increase reflects the extent of diplomatic and popular isolation that the Israeli leadership has begun to face in traditional European circles.\n\nThe institute concluded that these data reflect a fundamental shift in how the world perceives Israel as a state and Netanyahu as a leader, away from traditional alliances. It appears that the continuation of military operations and regional tensions has directly contributed to shaping this bleak view among global public opinion across its various orientations.\n\nIt is worth noting that this survey is one of the broadest statistical studies that addressed attitudes towards Israel since the beginning of recent events in the region. These figures provide a strong indicator for decision-makers around the world regarding increasing popular pressures demanding a change in policies towards the conflict in the Middle East.\n\nThe majority of people in most countries included in our survey this year expressed a negative opinion of Israel and little to no trust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.