AP-NORC found 31% of U.S. adults say Israel committed genocide in Gaza.
Why it matters: The poll adds a stark new marker to the U.S. debate over Israel and Gaza. It also shows how sharply opinions break along party lines, with nearly half of Americans saying they don't know enough to weigh in.
- 31% of U.S. adults said Israel’s military actions in Gaza constitute genocide in AP-NORC’s June 11-17 poll.
- 20% said Israel has not committed genocide, while 49% said they don’t know enough to say.
- 52% of Democrats said Israel has committed genocide, compared with 13% of Republicans.
- Among Jewish adults, 30% said Israel’s actions amount to genocide, 49% said they do not, and 21% said they don’t know enough to say.
AP-NORC’s June 11-17 national poll surveyed 3,040 U.S. adults through NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak panel and carries an overall margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points. The topline asked respondents whether Israel’s military actions in Gaza constitute genocide, and AP rounded the 31% result to “about 3 in 10” in its reporting.
The results underscore a widening partisan split on Israel. AP-NORC said 52% of Democrats agreed Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians during the war, compared with 13% of Republicans.
The poll also found major uncertainty. Nearly half of respondents, 49%, said they do not know enough to say whether Israel’s actions amount to genocide.
Among Jewish adults surveyed, views were more divided: 30% said Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide, 49% said they do not, and 21% said they do not know enough to say. That subgroup included 1,022 Jewish adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 5 points.
AP’s coverage places the findings in the broader context of declining U.S. support for Israel and more negative views of Israeli leaders. In separate reporting tied to the same poll, AP said 38% of U.S. adults viewed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unfavorably, compared with 20% favorably.
Independent Pew Research Center findings published July 9 also said Americans’ views of Israelis and the Israeli government have grown more negative since 2023, while views of Palestinians have held comparatively steady.
By the numbers
- 31% - U.S. adults who said Israel’s military actions in Gaza constitute genocide
- 49% - U.S. adults who said they don’t know enough to say
- 52% - Democrats who said Israel has committed genocide, versus 13% of Republicans
Yes, but: The poll captures public opinion, not a legal finding. And 49% of Americans said they don't know enough to answer, which limits how far the result can be read as settled public consensus.