A survey by the American research institute Pew Research Center shows that the world has a predominantly negative attitude toward Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Swedes are among the most critical in the world – only four other countries have a more negative opinion. A full 75 percent of those surveyed in Sweden say they have a somewhat or very negative image of Israel.
The survey was conducted last spring, and in 20 of the 24 countries surveyed, at least half of adults have a negative attitude toward Israel. In countries such as Australia, Greece, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey, the proportion is particularly high, with around 75 percent or more expressing a negative attitude.
Support for Israel is lowest in Turkey, where 93 percent say they have a somewhat or very negative view of the country.
In India, opinions are more evenly divided, with 34 percent having a positive view and 29 percent a negative view. In African countries such as Kenya and Nigeria, the trend is different, with about half or more of those surveyed having a positive attitude toward Israel.
Age and political affiliation influence
Compared to previous surveys, critical attitudes toward Israel have increased in several countries. In the US, the proportion of adults with a negative attitude has risen by 11 percentage points since March 2022. In the UK, the proportion has increased from 44 percent in 2013 to 61 percent this year.
The survey also shows clear differences based on age and political ideology. In high-income countries such as Australia, Canada, France, Poland, South Korea, and the US, younger people are more likely than older people to take a critical view of Israel, and in the US, the age difference is particularly clear.
Politically, people on the left are more likely to have a negative view than those on the right. In Australia, 90 percent of left-wingers have an unfavorable view, compared with 46 percent of right-wingers. In the US, the figures are 74 percent among liberals and 30 percent among conservatives.
Low confidence in Netanyahu
Confidence in Benjamin Netanyahu is low in most countries surveyed. Except for Kenya and Nigeria, no more than one-third of adults in any country say they have confidence in his handling of international affairs.
In countries such as Australia, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey, around 75 percent or more have little or no confidence in him. In several of these countries, a majority completely lack confidence in the corruption-accused prime minister.
Here too, there are differences linked to age and ideology. In Hungary, for example, people over the age of 50 are twice as likely to have confidence in Netanyahu as those between the ages of 18 and 34 (40 percent versus 20 percent).
Ideologically speaking, right-wingers are more likely to support Netanyahu than left-wingers. In France, 25 percent of right-wingers trust him, compared to 12 percent in the center and 8 percent on the left.
Israelis are not particularly happy with developments either. In Israel, 58 percent of residents believe that their country is not very respected, or not respected at all, internationally, while 39 percent believe that it is.
These views are largely unchanged since last year, although the proportion saying that the country is not respected at all has increased from 15 to 24 percent.
