Republicans Turn on Israel as Netanyahu Alienates Trump
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- Republicans are souring on Israel and Netanyahu, with 40% now holding an unfavorable view per an April Pew poll and 57% of those aged 18-49 viewing Israel unfavorably
- Trump told Netanyahu last September "all the Jews are sick of you" and threatened a "divorce" between the US and Israel if Netanyahu refused a Gaza peace deal, per Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan's new book "Regime Change"
- JD Vance rebuked Israeli officials opposing the Iran deal, saying "I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world"
- Tucker Carlson, who left the Republican Party last week, called Trump a "slave" to Netanyahu, as anti-interventionists Megyn Kelly and Marjorie Taylor Greene fueled the backlash and even pro-Israel podcaster Ben Shapiro saw his ratings slide
- Among Republicans aged 18-34, just 22% backed Israel's military actions as self-defense, and one in five Republicans now say the US is too supportive of Israel — three times the post-Oct. 7 figure
- Despite the cracks, Republicans still sympathize more with Israelis than Palestinians by 70% to lower margins per a February Gallup poll, though that sympathy is down 10 points from 2024
- Netanyahu faces one of the toughest reelection fights of his career this fall, and the open question is how much of Israel's lost standing is tied to him personally versus the country itself
Why it matters: For 15 years, Netanyahu offset collapsing Democratic support by cultivating Republicans; if that firewall breaks, Israel faces a bipartisan isolation problem. With 57% of Republicans under 50 viewing Israel unfavorably and Netanyahu's fall election looming, the trajectory could harden regardless of who replaces him.
