0
The Star of David is seen on the Jewish memorial at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site in Dachau, Germany, on April 24, 2025. / Courtesy of AP-Yonhap News

An analysis emerged indicating that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is losing his support base even within the Republican Party—a traditional ally—following the U.S. Democratic Party.

According to the U.S. online media outlet Axios on the 28th (local time), as conflicts surrounding Israel's military operations and foreign policy intensify, skepticism toward Israel is expanding within the U.S. Republican Party, particularly centering on the youth demographic.

Over the past 15 years, Prime Minister Netanyahu has focused on building relations with the Republican Party to make up for the supportive public opinion within the U.S. Democratic Party. However, as even his domestic support base within the Republican Party has shaken recently, a warning light has turned on for Israeli diplomacy.

U.S. President Donald Trump is known to have pressured Prime Minister Netanyahu to accept a Gaza Strip peace agreement this past September, warning of the possibility of severing bilateral relations upon refusal.

Afterward, he clarified through media interviews that his relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu is good, yet an analysis dominates in diplomatic circles that Israel's independent military moves are running counter to the U.S. administration's Middle East policy and inducing tensions.

Vice President J.D. Vance, who is mentioned as a prominent next presidential candidate within the Republican Party, also officially expressed regret toward Israeli officials who oppose agreements related to Iran, pointing out that they must consider the stance of the United States—their sole ally.

This current is being amplified through journalists and politicians who represent "America First," such as Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Axios conveyed that as anti-Semitic messages or skepticism regarding support for Israel—which were limited to a minority in the past—have expanded recently centering on online conservative commentators, whether to support Israel has emerged as a new political litmus test between the mainstream Republican establishment and rising conservative forces.

Influential conservative influencers who left the Republican Party last week, including Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, have continuously asserted that U.S. support for Israel does not align with national interests.

Statistical data also supports the change in perception within the Republican Party. According to a Pew Research Center survey in April, 40% of Republicans expressed a negative view toward Israel. Especially among voters aged 18 to 49, it exceeded a majority at 57%.

In a recent Quinnipiac University survey, 20% of Republicans responded that U.S. support for Israel is excessive, which increased by threefold compared to immediately after the October 7, 2023 situation.

Shibley Telhami, a professor at the University of Maryland, analyzed, "The phenomenon of distancing from Israel is accelerating among the younger Republican generation."

When viewed as the entire Republican Party, voices supporting Israel are still dominant. According to a Gallup survey in February, 70% of Republicans turned out to support Israel over Palestine.

Axios conveyed that whether the critical public opinion within the American conservative forces is a backlash against Prime Minister Netanyahu as an individual, or whether it will lead to diplomatic distancing from the state of Israel, is projected to become a core variable for future U.S.-Israel relations.

                                                                                                         Lee Jeong-eun