Bibi torched U.S. support for Israel for a generation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is wreaking havoc on Israel's standing with Americans as the Iran war supercharges a deterioration in relations with the U.S.

Why it matters: Israel's polling collapse among younger Americans is hitting Congress, too.

Lawmakers who started out staunchly pro-Israel are becoming increasingly vocal critics.

• "We need to have a discussion about how to normalize that relationship and what change is necessary; there's no doubt about that," Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) told Axios.

Zoom in: Every Senate Democrat who's eyeing a 2028 presidential run voted against arms sales to Israel in votes earlier this week.

• 40 Senate Dems voted on a resolution to block arms sales to Israel, up from just 15 on a similar vote last April.
• Netanyahu is "destroying the bipartisan nature in terms of support for Israel," Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) https://punchbowl.news/article/washington/israel-dems/" target="_blank">told Punchbowl News.

Over in the House, some Democrats are turning against defensive support, including funding for https://www.axios.com/2023/10/16/israel-hamas-iron-dome-defense-cost-explained" target="_self">Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system.

• That was "seen as insanely fringe four years ago," Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) told Axios.
• But multiple Democrats who voted for Iron Dome in 2021 told Axios they're https://www.axios.com/2026/04/15/iran-war-israel-democrats-congress-iron-dome-aoc" target="_blank">done providing financial aid.

The big picture: Older Republicans and white Evangelicals are the last groups to hold majority favorable views of Israel, according to recent https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/04/07/negative-views-of-israel-netanyahu-continue-to-rise-among-americans-especially-young-people/" target="_blank">Pew polling.

For every other group, Israel's favorability has collapsed since 2022.

• ⬇️ Down 31 percentage points among older Democrats (ages 50+).
• ⬇️ Down 22 percentage points among both younger Republicans/GOP leaners and younger Dems/Dem leaners.
• ⬇️ Down 14 percentage points among Protestants, 23 among Catholics and 20 among the religiously unaffiliated.
• ⬇️ Even white Evangelical support, which was at 80% in 2022, has slid by 15 points.