Nearly half of Americans reject Israel as a Jewish state, poll shows, with Americans under 25 favoring Hamas over Israel by a 20-point margin.By World Israel News StaffA majority of Americans continue to support Israel over Hamas, but voters under 25 favor Hamas by a wide margin and most Democrats say Israel should not be defined as a Jewish state, according to a new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll.In a forced-choice question asking voters whether they supported Israel or Hamas more in the conflict, 73% chose Israel and 27% chose Hamas.The result was sharply divided by age. Among voters aged 18 to 24, 60% supported Hamas more, compared with 40% who chose Israel. Support for Israel increased steadily among older voters, reaching 62% among those aged 25 to 34, 67% among those aged 35 to 44 and 88% among voters aged 65 and older.The poll also found a significant partisan divide, although majorities in all three political groups favored Israel.Republicans supported Israel over Hamas by 85% to 15%, while independents chose Israel by 69% to 31%. Among Democrats, Israel led by a narrower 63% to 37%.The results showed that choosing Hamas over Israel in the conflict did not necessarily indicate a generally favorable opinion of the terrorist organization.Only 11% of respondents said they viewed Hamas favorably, while 59% held an unfavorable opinion, giving the group a net favorability rating of minus 48 points.Israel received equal favorable and unfavorable ratings, with 37% expressing a positive opinion and 37% a negative one. The remaining respondents either had no opinion or were unfamiliar with it.The Palestinian Authority was viewed favorably by 17% and unfavorably by 45%, producing a net rating of minus 28 points.The survey also found broad support for Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish homeland, but considerably less agreement that the country should formally be defined as a Jewish state.Seventy-six percent said Israel had a right to exist as the homeland of the Jewish people, while 24% said it did not.Even among voters aged 18 to 24, 52% affirmed Israel’s right to exist as the Jewish homeland, compared with 48% who rejected it. Support rose to 92% among voters aged 65 and older.When respondents were asked about Israel’s political character, however, 56% said Israel should be defined as a Jewish state. Forty-four percent said it should instead be “a state without an official religious or ethnic identity.”Democrats narrowly rejected the Jewish-state definition. Fifty-two percent said Israel should have no official religious or ethnic identity, while 48% said it should be defined as a Jewish state.Republicans supported the Jewish-state definition by 70% to 30%. Independents were nearly evenly divided, with 49% supporting a Jewish-state definition and 51% favoring a state without an official religious or ethnic identity.The generational division was again most pronounced among the youngest voters. Sixty-two percent of respondents aged 18 to 24 said Israel should not have an official religious or ethnic identity, while 38% said it should be defined as a Jewish state.Voters aged 25 to 34 supported the Jewish-state definition by 54% to 46%. Support remained at 54% among those aged 35 to 44 and increased to 63% among voters aged 65 and older.The distinction between the two questions indicated that some respondents believed Israel had a right to exist as the Jewish homeland while opposing its formal definition as a Jewish state.The poll separately found that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s standing among American voters had deteriorated since the previous survey in May.Twenty-four percent viewed Netanyahu favorably, while 39% viewed him unfavorably, giving him a net rating of minus 15 points. In May, Netanyahu was viewed favorably by 26% and unfavorably by 35%, for a net rating of minus nine.New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s net rating improved slightly, although he remained underwater. Twenty-seven percent viewed Mamdani favorably and 35% viewed him unfavorably, producing a net rating of minus seven.In May, Mamdani had a 23% favorable and 33% unfavorable rating, leaving him at minus 10. His improved net score resulted from his favorable rating rising more than his unfavorable rating, rather than from a decline in the percentage viewing him negatively.Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson received a net rating identical to Netanyahu’s. Twenty-three percent viewed Carlson favorably and 38% unfavorably, placing him at minus 15. His net rating had been minus 12 in May, when 23% viewed him favorably and 35% unfavorably.Despite the sharp divisions over Israel, the poll found broad agreement on several related regional issues.Seventy-seven percent said terrorist groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah, were present along Israel’s borders. A 43% plurality said those organizations were attempting to destroy Israel, while 33% said they were fighting for greater rights in their territory and 23% said they were seeking to expand their territory.Seventy percent said Hezbollah should be required to disarm as part of a long-term peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon. That position was supported by 79% of Republicans, 67% of independents and 65% of Democrats.The Harvard CAPS/Harris survey was conducted online July 11 and 12 among 1,776 registered US voters. The results were weighted to reflect the electorate’s demographic and political composition. The poll reported a margin of error of 2.3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.The post Young Americans favor Hamas over Israel, Dems believe Israel should not be a Jewish state – poll appeared first on World Israel News.