Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe antisemitism has increased since the October 7, 2023, attacks, yet many continue to struggle with identifying and calling out common instances of anti-Jewish hatred in practice, according to a new national polling report.
Released in October 2026 by Boundless, a non-profit focused on Israel education and combating antisemitism, the report was conducted by Burson Insights & Intelligence.
The report revealed gaps in the public’s ability to recognize antisemitism, particularly when it intersects with Israel-related speech, protests, and geopolitical events.
The report is divided into two core sections: attitudes toward American Jews three years after October 7, and Israel’s upcoming election alongside attitudes toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The survey sampled 1,500 US adults between September 4 and September 11.
Boundless CEO Aviva Klompas said in a statement, “Three years after October 7, Americans can see that antisemitism is getting worse, but too many struggle to recognize it and call it out when it’s right in front of them.”
“There is no justification for surrounding a synagogue or harassing Jews in the name of political protest," Klompas added. "It’s not enough for Americans to acknowledge that antisemitism is rising. We need real policy, education, and action to combat this hatred today.”
Majority of Americans notice rise in antisemitism since Oct. 7
The first section of the report examined attitudes toward American Jews three years after October 7. The findings showed that 64% of Americans believe antisemitism or Jew-hatred has increased since October 7, 2023.
Among those who see antisemitism increasing, the top reasons cited included the spread of misinformation, Gaza protests, increased polarization, Jew-hatred becoming more socially acceptable, and a lack of condemnation.
The report found that 61% of Americans agree that criticism of Israel is often used as an excuse to express anti-Jewish views, a statistically significant increase from 53% in 2025.
The report noted that 30% of Americans remain unfamiliar with the term “antisemitism,” with that unfamiliarity rising to 39% among young adults aged 18 to 34.
The report said that 21% of Americans see antisemitism as a justified reaction to the Israel-Hamas War, a figure that jumps to 35% among young adults. Additionally, 15% of Americans believe American Jews are complicit in genocide.
Questions of loyalty also emerged. The report said that 22% of young adults believe American Jews support Israel more than the United States, and 25% of young adults state that an American who expresses strong support for Israel is less loyal to the US.
Among the respondents, 44% believe American Jews support the Netanyahu government, and 37% believe most American Jews support Israel’s war in Gaza.
Regarding overall public perception of Jewish people, 69% of Americans hold a favorable view. However, favorability drops to 61% among young adults aged 18 to 34, a cohort where unfavorable views climbed to 29%.
The data found that Americans who hold unfavorable views toward Israel are more than twice as likely to harbor unfavorable views of Jewish people compared to the general public (29% vs 12%).
Around 40% of US Jews have favorable view of Netanyahu
The second section of the report turned to Israel’s upcoming election and attitudes toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The survey found that 58% of Americans can correctly identify Israel’s prime minister. Overall, 40% of Americans view Netanyahu unfavorably, while 23% are unsure or have no opinion.
Favorability toward Netanyahu divided sharply by age and political affiliation, with younger Americans and Democrats viewing him most unfavorably.
The survey found that 19% of Americans reported that their views of Netanyahu shape how they view American Jews, and about one-third (35%) believed Netanyahu leaving office would improve their perceptions of Israel and Jewish people.
When examining what drives unfavorable views toward Israel, the report said that concerns stem primarily from the conflict, policies, and leadership rather than opposition to Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.
The polling highlighted limited public familiarity with Israeli democracy: only 30% of Americans know Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, only 27% know Arab citizens of Israel can vote in Israeli elections, and only 21% know Arabs serve in Israel’s parliament.