79% in Bangladesh and 60% in US Hold Negative View of Israel; Lowest in India

A clear majority of the population across most of the world’s 36 surveyed countries harbor a negative attitude toward Israel. Concurrently, citizens have expressed that they have "very little" or "absolutely no" confidence in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

These insights were revealed in a comprehensive global study published by the United States-based think tank, Pew Research Center. The poll was conducted from February 8 to May 13. Notably, most of the survey interviews were logged right after the joint military operations by the United States and Israel in Iran on February 28.

Across the 36 nations surveyed, an average of 67 percent of adults hold an unfavorable or hostile view of Israel, compared to a mere 25 percent who view the country positively. This anti-Israel sentiment is exceptionally pronounced in Muslim-majority countries and territories, including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Due to volatile conditions, surveying was impossible in the Gaza Strip.

European nations also recorded highly critical assessments. Approximately half or more of the adult populations in Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain revealed an "extremely negative" perception of Israel. Conversely, the highest favorable ratings for the country were concentrated in select Sub-Saharan African nations.

Demographic Disparities: Youth and Left-Wing Ideologies Lead Criticism

The research underscores a distinct generational divide across several North American and European nations, with younger cohorts expressing substantially more critical views of Israel than older generations. In Hungary, for instance, 72 percent of young adults aged 18 to 34 hold an unfavorable view of Israel, whereas that figure drops to 45 percent among citizens aged 50 and above.

Political ideology also acts as a primary differentiator in shaping these global perspectives, with the widest partisan divide observed in the United States. About 83 percent of American liberals view Israel unfavorably, compared to just 37 percent of conservatives. A similar, consistent trend is visible across high-income nations like Australia, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden, where nearly 9 out of 10 left-wing individuals view Israel negatively—outpacing their right-wing counterparts by at least 23 percentage points. This ideological consistency, however, was not mirrored across middle-income countries.

Steep Drop in Favorability Compared to 2025

While global sentiments toward Israel were already highly critical last year, negative perceptions have intensified significantly in 13 out of the 24 countries where historical tracking data was available. In Argentina, negative views rose from 46 percent in 2025 to a 55 percent majority today. Furthermore, nations like Australia, Italy, Nigeria, Poland, and the United Kingdom experienced double-digit spikes in the proportion of respondents holding an "extremely unfavorable" view of Israel. Greece stood out as the sole country where public opinion warmed slightly compared to last year, though its overall favorability remains low at 30 percent.

Global Vote of No Confidence in Benjamin Netanyahu

The survey points to a severe global trust deficit regarding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ability to make correct decisions in world affairs. In half or more of the surveyed nations—including Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem—at least 50 percent of adults stated they have "not a single shred of confidence" in the Israeli leader. Kenya and the Philippines were the only exceptions where a majority expressed trust in him.

Mirroring the country-level data, lack of trust in Netanyahu is concentrated heavily among younger demographics and politically left-leaning individuals. In Hungary, adults under 35 are 23 percentage points more likely to express zero trust in the Israeli leader than those aged 50 and older. Similarly, liberals in Australia, Canada, Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, and the US are at least 25 percentage points more likely than conservatives to declare absolute distrust in Netanyahu.

This erosion of trust has deteriorated drastically since 2025 in 13 of the 24 trend-tracked countries, with South Korea recording the sharpest decline. Today, 76 percent of South Korean adults express little to no confidence in Netanyahu, up from 64 percent last year. In nearly half of the tracked nations, the share of people stating they have "no confidence at all" surged by double digits, exemplified by Italy, where distrust jumped from 45 percent in 2025 to 62 percent today. In total, the exhaustive Pew study interviewed 44,657 respondents across 36 countries.

India Stands as the Sole Geopolitical Exception

India emerged as a massive geopolitical outlier in the Asia-Pacific region and the wider global matrix. It registered the lowest anti-Israel sentiment among all surveyed nations, with only 28 percent of Indian respondents viewing Israel unfavorably, while 32 percent hold a positive view.

India maintained this unique stance regarding leadership trust as well; only 27 percent of Indians voiced a lack of confidence in Netanyahu, whereas 34 percent explicitly stated that they trust him to handle global affairs effectively.

Global Data at a Glance

The mathematical breakdown of public opinion across the surveyed nations highlights the following percentages regarding anti-Israel sentiments and distrust toward its leadership:

Unfavorable Views of Israel

Turkey (97%), Pakistan (95%), Malaysia (89%), Indonesia (86%), West Bank/East Jerusalem (85%), Japan (83%), Australia (79%), Bangladesh (79%), Spain (78%), Sweden (78%), Netherlands (76%), Italy (75%), Germany (73%), Singapore (72%), Poland (70%), South Korea (70%), United Kingdom (69%), France (68%), Canada (65%), Greece (65%), Philippines (64%), United States (60%), Chile (60%), Thailand (59%), Mexico (59%), South Africa (58%), Colombia (56%), Argentina (55%), Hungary (54%), Brazil (52%), Peru (50%), Kenya (47%), Sri Lanka (41%), Nigeria (41%), Ghana (36%), India (28%).

No Confidence in Benjamin Netanyahu

Turkey (95%), Pakistan (92%), Malaysia (91%), Bangladesh (90%), Indonesia (89%), West Bank/East Jerusalem (88%), Japan (87%), Australia (84%), Spain (84%), Sweden (84%), Netherlands (83%), Italy (83%), Germany (79%), Singapore (78%), South Korea (76%), Poland (75%), United Kingdom (74%), France (73%), Canada (70%), Greece (69%), Chile (68%), France (68%), Thailand (67%), Mexico (66%), United States (65%), South Africa (64%), Colombia (63%), Argentina (62%), Hungary (60%), Brazil (59%), Peru (57%), Philippines (46%), Sri Lanka (43%), Nigeria (41%), Ghana (34%), Kenya (28%), India (27%).

Source: Pew Research Center Global Survey (2026)