AP-NORC Poll: Jewish Americans on Antisemitism and Israel
A comprehensive new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research offers an unprecedented look inside the minds of American Jews — a community grappling with rising antisemitism, fractured views on Israel, and a growing sense of political abandonment. The survey of 1,022 Jewish adults, conducted June 11-17, 2026, captures a population at a crossroads nearly three years after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack reshaped the landscape of Jewish life in America.
A Community on Edge
The poll’s findings on safety are stark. About 6 in 10 Jewish adults say prejudice against Jewish people is an “extremely” or “very” serious problem in the United States today, according to AP News. Only about one-third feel “very” or “somewhat” safe as a Jewish person in the U.S., while an equal share feel unsafe. Some 60% say they feel less safe than before Oct. 7, 2023.
These fears are grounded in lived experience. Roughly 3 in 10 Jewish adults say they or someone in their household has experienced physical assault, verbal abuse, online harassment, or property damage because of their Jewish background in the past year. About 1 in 10 report physical assault specifically, and a similar share report property damage, as AP News detailed.
The sense of vulnerability has changed behavior. About 4 in 10 Jewish adults say they are now less likely to wear or display items that identify them as Jewish. Caitlin Rosendorn, a 24-year-old in Illinois, told AP they stopped wearing a Star of David necklace, worried it might be misinterpreted as a political statement rather than a religious symbol.
“I don’t want to wear a Star of David to work if that’s going to alienate somebody who sees the Star of David as a symbol of Israel as opposed to a symbol of Judaism,” Rosendorn said. “I don’t want people to get the wrong idea about my views.”
Hal Guberman, 30, of New Jersey, described being slurred by a stranger while wearing a kippah. “They saw me being visibly Jewish, and they made an opinion about me,” he said.
The ADL’s 2025 Audit recorded 6,274 antisemitic incidents across the U.S. — a 33% decrease from 2024’s record highs but still the third-highest year on record since tracking began in 1979, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Assaults, however, reached record levels.
Deep Divisions Over Israel
The poll reveals a community split along religious and generational lines over Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Among Jews who identify by religion — about 68% of the total — roughly 8 in 10 say Israel’s immediate response to the Oct. 7 attack was justified. But only about half say its ongoing military operations in Gaza are justified, as AP News reported.
Among Jewish adults without a religious affiliation — roughly 30% who identify culturally or ethnically — the numbers flip dramatically. Only about half saw the immediate response as justifiable, and just 2 in 10 say the ongoing operations are acceptable.
About one-quarter of religiously affiliated Jews believe Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, an accusation leveled by human rights organizations and a UN-commissioned team but denied by Israel and the U.S. Among non-religious Jews, that figure rises to roughly 4 in 10.
Generational divides are equally pronounced. Younger Jewish adults (under 45) are less likely to prioritize support for Israel as central to their Jewish identity. Instead, they emphasize celebrating holidays and social justice. About 7 in 10 Jewish adults under 45 say celebrating Jewish holidays is highly important, compared to about half of older adults, according to AP News.
Rabbi Seth Adelson of Pittsburgh captured the dynamic: “In recent years, perhaps due to the complexity of that region, religious Jews have been more likely to hold on to our ancient stories, and Jews of no religion have been less likely to hold on to those stories.”
Politically Homeless
Perhaps the most striking finding is the sense of political isolation. Only about 15% of Jewish adults say the Democratic Party supports Jewish people “extremely” or “very” well. About 2 in 10 say the same of President Donald Trump, as AP News reported.
About 7 in 10 Jewish adults hold an unfavorable opinion of Trump, while roughly 33% view Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu favorably. Notably, 44% view New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — a Democratic socialist and vocal Israel critic — favorably.
Yahm Levin, 39, of Los Angeles, described feeling “politically homeless.” “I don’t really feel comfortable in leftist circles anymore,” he told AP. “I just want to be a Jewish American who has a connection to Israel. But I feel like I can’t do that. And it’s very frustrating. And sometimes a little scary.”
Ellen Kuberski, 72, a Jewish Democrat from Chicago, expressed frustration with both parties: “There’s enough antisemitism in the world that we don’t need politicians on what’s supposed to be on our side coming out with that crap.”
What’s Next
The poll raises urgent questions as the 2026 midterm elections approach. Will the sense of political homelessness drive Jewish voters to shift their allegiances? Will the generational trend toward deprioritizing Israel continue or reverse? And will the Trump administration’s policies — including its ceasefire plan for Gaza and military conflict with Iran — reshape Jewish American political views?
What’s clear is that American Jews are navigating an increasingly complex landscape. The poll’s data suggests a community that feels simultaneously more visible and more vulnerable, more politically engaged and more politically abandoned — searching for a place to belong in a deeply polarized nation.