New poll finds American Jews view Mamdani more favorably than Netanyahu

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, an outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and U.S. support for the Israeli government, is viewed more favorably by American Jews than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a new AP-NORC poll released July 7. 

According to the data, 44% of Jewish adults have a favorable view of Mamdani, while 32% said the same of Netanyahu. Conversely, 39% hold an unfavorable view of Mamdani, while 59% said the same of Netanyahu. Mamdani has a net favorability of +5 points, while Netanyahu’s is -27 points.

The survey, conducted June 11-17 among 3,040 U.S. adults, including 1,022 Jewish adults, did not ask respondents to choose between Mamdani and Netanyahu but measured separate favorability ratings for each public figure.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — a Democrat who has supported Israel but been highly critical of aspects of Netanyahu’s leadership — had a stronger net favorability among Jewish adults than both Mamdani and Netanyahu. Forty-one percent viewed Shapiro favorably, 21% unfavorably, and 38% said they did not know enough to form an opinion.

The results offer a politically significant snapshot of Jewish American attitudes toward Israel, Netanyahu’s leadership, and politicians who have sharply criticized the Israeli government. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, is known for having broken with Democratic Party leaders on Israel and has drawn support from anti-establishment voters for describing Israel’s conduct in Gaza as genocide, Zeale News previously reported.

While 73% of American Jews said Israel’s initial military response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack was justified, only 42% said Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza were justified, according to the poll. Forty-three percent said the operations were not justified.

Thirty percent of Jewish adults said Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a share similar to the broader American public, according to the data. Forty-nine percent said they do not believe the Israeli government has committed genocide, and 21% said they did not know enough to say. 

AP News reported that views differed sharply between religiously affiliated and secular Jewish adults. About half of religiously affiliated Jews said Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza were justified, while about one-quarter said Israel has committed genocide. Among religiously unaffiliated Jews, only about 2 in 10 said Israel’s current operations in Gaza were justified, and about 4 in 10 said Israel has committed genocide. 

The findings build on other polling showing deep dissatisfaction with Israel’s conduct in Gaza among American Jews. A Washington Post poll conducted in September 2025 found that 61% of Jewish Americans said Israel was guilty of war crimes in Gaza, while 39% said Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians. Fifty-nine percent also believed Israel was failing to allow enough food aid into Gaza, the data showed. 

The poll could carry strategic implications for Democrats as support for Israel becomes increasingly divisive in the political landscape. 

In looking at the Democratic Party’s support for Israel, AP-NORC found that 58% of Democrats now say the U.S. is too supportive of the Israeli government, up from 45% in January 2024. Among Jewish Democrats, 51% said the U.S. is too supportive. 

The results also follow a strong showing by Mamdani-aligned progressives in New York’s June 23 Democratic congressional primaries, where U.S. support for Israel and the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, better known as AIPAC, became central campaign issues, as Zeale News previously reported. All three winners are democratic socialists who opposed U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza — a result Democratic strategists said at the time signaled a significant shift in the party’s policy on Israel.

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