A majority of American Jews say Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza, while more than one third say the country is committing genocide.
A new Washington Post poll highlights the sharp loss of support for Israel in the two years since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 that triggered the war in Gaza.
The Post poll at the weekend surveyed 815 Jewish Americans. A total of 61 per cent said Israel is committing war crimes, while 39 per cent said it is committing genocide.
Most respondents were unhappy with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with 68 per cent giving negative marks for his leadership.
The Hamas attack left about 1,200 people dead in Israel and the militants kidnapped about 250 people. More than 67,000 Palestinians – most of them civilians – have since been killed in Gaza.
The poll comes after a separate survey last week found support for Israel among US voters has declined 13 percentage points over the past year.
After the October 7 attacks, 47 per cent of US voters sympathised with Israel, compared with 20 per cent who backed Palestinians. The poll showed backing for Israel has dropped to 34 per cent while support for Palestinians was at 35 per cent.
Israel's loss of support among American Jews is startling given the historic connections between the two countries.
In Congress, Israel still enjoys bipartisan political support overall, but an increasing number of legislators are coming out against Israeli policies or to support Palestinian causes.
US President Donald Trump last week unveiled a 20-point peace plan aimed at ending the conflict and bringing about the return of the remaining hostages. The proposal is being seen as the best hope for ending the war but some sticking points remain, including the extent to which Hamas is prepared to disarm.
Experts say an end to the Gaza conflict could hasten the end to Mr Netanyahu's ruling coalition, with far-right members of his cabinet poised to quit amid what they consider a defeat to Hamas after the Prime Minister had vowed to eradicate the group.
Yossi Klein Halevi, a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, said the odds of an election in early 2026 are "better than even".
The next Israeli elections have to be called by October 27, 2026 but few see the current government lasting until then.
Mr Halevi, speaking at a Washington Institute event, said a "significant minority" of the Israeli public will feel betrayed by any peace deal. Other Israelis are keen for new leadership to help rehabilitate Israel's image on the world stage.
"When you look at the scope of the demonstrations throughout Europe that are anti-Israeli, that include broad segments of society, Israel has a lot of work to do," said Dennis Ross, former special envoy for Middle East peace.
"An election that is coming can be part of telling people, 'look, the potential for change is coming as well'."
