As the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly approaches, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that Israeli views of the UN have reached historic lows. Eight-in-ten Israeli adults view the UN unfavorably. This includes 51% who describe their view as very unfavorable. This is the highest share among the 25 countries surveyed in 2025.
The February–March survey of 998 Israeli adults shows that only 16% of Israelis see the UN favorably. This is the lowest level recorded since Pew began tracking in 2007. Attitudes have hardened since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, and especially after Israel banned the UN Relief and Works Agency in January 2025.
Sharp Divides by Ethnicity and Ideology
Among Jewish Israelis, 89% hold an unfavorable view of the UN, marking the highest level in nearly two decades of Pew polling. In contrast, Arab Israelis are split, with half expressing an unfavorable view and 45% a favorable one.
Political ideology strongly shapes opinions as well. More than nine-in-ten Israelis on the right view the UN unfavorably. In comparison, 77% of centrists and 61% on the left share this view. Still, even among the left, negative views have doubled since spring 2023 (61% vs. 31%).
Most See the UN as Harmful to Peace Efforts
Two-thirds of Israelis (66%) believe the UN has been harmful to efforts for lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. This includes 44% who see it as very harmful. The divide is stark between groups: 80% of Jewish Israelis say the UN undermines peace efforts, compared with only 13% of Arab Israelis.
On the political spectrum, 83% of Israelis on the right see the UN as harmful, while just 30% of those on the left share that view. Supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party are also significantly more likely to describe the UN as obstructive to peace.
