CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said Friday that U.S. voters from both sides of the aisle have soured on Israel, referencing multiple recent polls confirming a “mammoth” shift in favorability — which Enten suggested could pose a serious problem for the Republican Party.
Enten made his case during an appearance on “News Central” after host John Berman noted Israel has been “one of the key issues” raised by Democrats in recent months, and that continued U.S. military aid to the country is not a partisan matter anymore.
“These are some absolutely huge, mammoth changes, generational changes that we’re talking about,” Enten said Friday. “I think there are a lot of Republicans [who think], ‘Oh, we’ll be able to run against these anti-Israeli Democrats once we hit the general election.’”
The data guru said Republicans can continue to believe that voters feel “very differently” about the matter than Democrats, as criticism of Israel has largely come from the party’s more progressive wing, but noted Israel’s net favorability has been “all negative” since the spring.
A Pew Research Center survey conducted in March confirmed that 60 % of U.S. adults from both parties have an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 53% in 2025. A Marquette University Law School survey conducted in April put Israel’s net favorability at minus 21 points.
Enten went on to cite another poll conducted by Ipsos that same month, which apparently delivered yet another double-digit blow for Israel: It reportedly showed 39% of responders had a favorable view, while 49% had an unfavorable view — for a net favorability rating of minus 10 points.
“Negative, negative, negative,” he said. “And Gallup earlier this year was also negative.”
Enten continued, “We’re not just talking about the Democratic base anymore. We’re talking about the general electorate, as well. The general electorate has turned against Israel. This is not just a left issue. It is an American issue when it comes to opinions on Israel.”
The data analyst also noted that a Washington Post-Ipsos survey, which was conducted between July 8 and July 13, showed that 55% of 2,648 polled U.S. adults believe military aid to Israel should either be reduced or ended entirely.
Enten described these overall trends as “unbelievable,” as Israel’s net favorability at this point during President Donald Trump’s first term was at an average of plus 51 points, according to his “Enten’s Aggregate” of several polls at the time, and is now at minus 16.
“That is, what, a 67-point shift against Israel in just eight years,” he said. “Israel used to be a consensus issue in American politics, and that was a pro-Israel position. Now the consensus has actually shifted, and now when it comes to the general electorate, it is a minus.”
He concluded, “Israel is now seen negatively. And we’re seeing it in poll after poll after poll.”