Most people in 36 countries hold unfavorable views of Israel: Poll

A majority of people in 36 countries hold unfavorable views of Israel and lack confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a new survey Thursday by the Pew Research Center.

The survey, conducted Feb. 8 – May 13, 2026, found that a global median of 67% of adults view Israel unfavorably, while 25% hold a favorable view.

Views were particularly negative in Muslim-majority countries that were surveyed, including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Türkiye, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The majority in most surveyed countries said they have little or no confidence in Netanyahu to do the right thing regarding world affairs, it said.

Kenya and the Philippines were the only countries where more than half of the public expressed confidence in the Israeli prime minister, it added.

Unfavorable views of Israel increased in 13 of the 24 countries where trend data were available since 2025, said Pew.