Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Jan. 7. Photo by Ronen Zvulun/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

By Jacob Kornbluh March 20, 2024

A new survey, taken in the days before and after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for new Israeli leadership, shows that most Democrats are similarly disenchanted with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

The Grinnell College National Poll showed that 57% of Democrats view Netanyahu critically and 53% of Republicans view him favorably. Among respondents who said they plan to vote for Democratic President Joe Biden in November, 69% expressed unfavorable views of Netanyahu. Among those who plan to vote for former President Donald Trump, 61% expressed a positive view of Netanyahu.

Among voters overall, 34% of Americans view Netanyahu negatively, 31% view him favorably, and 36% didn’t express an opinion.

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The survey of 1,005 adults via phone, conducted for Grinnell by Selzer & Company March 11-17, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

A familiar figure

Netanyahu is better known to American voters than most world leaders. He has held office since 2009 — with an 18-month break in 2021-2022 — grew up in Philadelphia in the early 1960s, attended college and graduate school in Boston, and served as Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. in the mid-1980s.

He has delivered three speeches to a joint session of Congress, including a high-profile address in 2015, a rare opportunity for a foreign leader, and has been interviewed by major U.S. networks since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Schumer, a stalwart voice for Israel in the Senate, spoke out against Netanyahu on Thursday amid increasing pressure from the liberal Democrats who have grown frustrated with the war in Gaza, in which more than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

As with other senior Democrats who have criticized Netanyahu, Schumer sought to distinguish between him and the Israeli people. In his 45-minute Senate floor speech, the New York senator said Netanyahu’s policies and approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “no longer fits the needs of Israel” and called for new elections after the war in Gaza winds down.

President Joe Biden, a Democrat, called it a “good speech.”

A Netanyahu-friendly GOP

Netanyahu responded angrily to Schumer's remarks, calling it “inappropriate” to interfere in the politics of another democracy, and reportedly complained about Democratic criticism in a phone call with Biden on Monday.

Republicans, by contrast, have reiterated their support for Netanyahu and accused Democrats of abandoning Israel.

Netanyahu is expected to address the Senate Republican weekly lunch via video Wednesday afternoon and House Republicans are reportedly considering inviting the embattled Israeli prime minister to address Congress.

Democrats have broken with Netanyahu in the past. When Republican leaders broke protocol by inviting him to address Congress over President Barack Obama’s wishes nine years ago, 58 Democratic members boycotted the speech.

Netanyahu faces hostility within Israel, as many hold him responsible for failing to prevent Hamas' October attack, which set off the current war. Recent Israeli polls showed that 62% of Israelis see Netanyahu as a divisive politician and a minority — 34% — see him as more suited than his rivals to lead the country.

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