Poll: Most Religiously Affiliated Jewish Adults Back Initial Gaza Response but Fewer Support Ongoing Operations

The Independent reported that an AP-NORC poll of 1,022 Jewish adults released July 18 found divided opinions on Israel's military actions in Gaza. Roughly 8 in 10 Jewish adults with a religious affiliation viewed the immediate response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack as justified, while only half said the same about ongoing operations.

Among those without a religious affiliation the shares were about half for the initial response and 2 in 10 for the continuing campaign.

About one-quarter of religiously affiliated respondents said Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, compared with roughly 4 in 10 of the unaffiliated. The poll also recorded that 6 in 10 Jewish adults consider prejudice against Jewish people an extremely or very serious problem in the United States today.

One-third said they feel very or somewhat safe as a Jewish person, one-third feel very or somewhat unsafe, and the rest feel neither.

About 3 in 10 reported that they or someone in their household had faced physical assault, verbal abuse, online harassment or property damage tied to their Jewish background in the past year. Only 2 in 10 Jewish adults said President Donald Trump supports Jewish people extremely or very well, a figure matched for both the Republican and Democratic parties, though more respondents viewed the Democratic Party as at least somewhat supportive.

Half of Jewish adults said protesting an event supportive of Israel does not constitute antisemitism, while 4 in 10 said it does.

Overwhelming majorities labeled vandalizing synagogues or Jewish-owned businesses, denying the Holocaust, holding U.S. Jews responsible for Israel's actions, or denying Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state as antisemitic. Support for Israel ranked as extremely or very important to Jewish identity for half of religious adults aged 45 and older but only 4 in 10 of those under 45.