US Congressman Warns of Sharply Declining American Support for Israel

Brad Sherman, a long-serving Democratic Congressman from California and a prominent supporter of Israel, has issued a stark warning to Israelis about a significant decline in American public support for the Jewish state. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) on September 19, Sherman urged Israel to recognize the gravity of this shift, citing a CNN report from July 2026 that highlighted polling data showing a sharp drop in favorability towards Israel. Sherman, who has been in Congress for nearly three decades, emphasized the importance of translating the CNN report into Hebrew for all Israeli officials and voters to see.

Sherman stated that his recent conversations with Israeli Ambassador to Washington, Yehiel Leiter, revealed that neither the ambassador nor the broader Israeli public fully grasp the extent of the changes occurring in the U.S. "I don't think Israelis understand what's at stake," Sherman warned, stressing that the risks extend beyond annual U.S. aid to potentially impacting Israel's access to American weaponry and its decades-long diplomatic support on the international stage.

He also criticized Israel's international public relations and diplomatic efforts, arguing that the country is not taking basic steps to improve its global image and is underinvesting in its Foreign Ministry. Sherman specifically called the presence of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in the government an "existential risk," concluding that "Israel cannot exist without friends in the world."

Furthermore, Sherman addressed settler violence in the West Bank, suggesting that the Israeli belief that international criticism is unfair and can be ignored demonstrates a misunderstanding of Jewish history. He cautioned that such incidents will continue to erode support for Israel unless governmental bodies responsible for combating this phenomenon are led by individuals genuinely opposed to it.

The CNN report, featuring analysis by Harry Enten, presented data from four polls (Ipsos, Fox News, Marquette University Law School, and Pew Research Center), all showing a net negative balance of favorability towards Israel, ranging from -10 to -23 points. Enten noted this trend is no longer confined to the Democratic electorate but is evident across the broader American public. Historically, the average net favorability for Israel in July 2018 was +51 points, a stark contrast to the current approximate -16 points, a 67-point shift in eight years. Enten observed a shift from a pro-Israel consensus in American politics to a public increasingly leaning against Israel.

A particularly striking statistic from the CNN report, based on an Ipsos poll with The Washington Post, indicated that 55% of Americans believe the U.S. should reduce or completely halt military aid to Israel. This sentiment was consistent across different demographics, with 51% of those without higher education and 62% with higher education holding this view. Sherman highlighted this as a crucial signal for Israel to heed, underscoring his own long-standing support for the U.S.-Israel alliance.