Nearly 50% of Muslim Americans view Hamas positively, new survey reveals

New Survey Reveals Shifting Opinions on Hamas and Israel

A recent poll has unveiled that nearly half of Muslim Americans view the terrorist organization Hamas positively. This comes alongside a notable decline in favorable perceptions of Israelis among both Republicans and Democrats since 2022.

Interestingly, the survey also highlighted that younger individuals, regardless of their faith, tend to favor Palestinians over Israelis significantly more than before. This change, it seems, is attributed to the violent events that unfolded on October 7.

Around 44% of Muslim American participants expressed a favorable opinion of Hamas, contrasting sharply with only 17% of black Protestants, a mere 4% of white evangelical Protestants, and 8% of Catholics, according to findings from a Pew Research Center study released on Thursday.

In stark contrast, only 26% of Muslim Americans held a favorable view of Israelis, while 74% of white evangelical Protestants, 51% of Catholics, and 55% of black Protestants did.

The shift in sentiment is particularly pronounced among younger generations. Young Americans, especially Democrats, are more likely to view Hamas and the Palestinian people favorably rather than Israelis and their government.

Specifically, over half (58%) of U.S. adults aged 30 and under expressed positive feelings towards Palestinians, whereas less than a third (32%) felt positively about Israelis.

Among young Democrats, the disparity is even more marked: 72% view Palestinians in a favorable light, while only 26% can say the same about Israelis.

Interestingly, younger Republicans also show some ambivalence towards Israel, with 42% holding a favorable opinion of Israelis and 40% toward Palestinians.

Approximately 13% of adults under 30 expressed support for Hamas, including 16% of young Democrats and surprisingly, 11% of young Republicans.

Data indicates a significant decrease in support for Israel among both major political parties in the U.S. since 2022—a year before the tragic events of October 7, which resulted in the deaths of roughly 1,200 Israelis.

The percentage of Republicans with a favorable view of Israel decreased from 77% to 65%, while support among Democrats plummeted from 62% to 43%.

Furthermore, approval ratings for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government also saw a decline, dropping to 51% among Republicans and only 16% among Democrats.

Jewish Americans and white evangelical Protestants are still largely supportive of the Israeli populace and its leaders. Notably, white evangelical Protestants are the only religious group with predominantly positive views towards the Israeli government, with 57% expressing approval of Netanyahu’s administration, compared to 47% of Jewish respondents.

Interestingly, perceptions vary by age, particularly among Jewish Americans; those under 50 are generally less favorable towards Israel’s government than their older counterparts.