NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Yahm Levin is a diehard Democrat who lives in one of the nation’s most liberal cities. And yet the 39-year-old Jewish woman from Los Angeles is sometimes afraid to use her first or last name when meeting people 鈥� even those who share her progressive politics.
Levin has learned from recent experience that being identified as a Jew, especially one who lived in Israel, can trigger uncomfortable questions from fellow Democrats. Or worse. So, she introduces herself by her middle name, Shelly, which she said feels safer.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 really feel comfortable in leftist circles anymore,鈥� said Levin, a former librarian. 鈥淚 just want to be a Jewish American who has a connection to Israel. But I feel like I can鈥檛 do that. And it鈥檚 very frustrating. And sometimes a little scary.鈥�
Nearly three years after the began with Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023, intensifying criticism of Israel within the has left Levin feeling 鈥減olitically homeless.鈥�
A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that most Jewish adults don’t feel well represented by political leaders at a troubling moment for many in their community. Most Jewish Americans, 63%, say prejudice against Jewish people is an 鈥渆xtremely鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� serious problem in the U.S. At the same time, few believe that either party is doing a good job supporting Jewish people in the United States.
The new survey of 1,022 Jewish adults 鈥� including people who identify as Jewish by religion and religiously unaffiliated people who identify as Jewish through culture, ethnicity or family background 鈥� offers a rare detailed accounting of a key demographic that sits at the very center of some of the nation鈥檚 most divisive political debates.
It indicates that many Jewish adults feel isolated at a moment when is a growing concern across the political spectrum and support for Israel has become a flash point in both parties. The survey found that many Jewish adults, 36%, say supporting Israel is 鈥渆xtremely鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� important to their Jewish identity, while another 26% say it’s 鈥渟omewhat鈥� important.
Just 15% of Jewish adults say that the Democratic Party supports Jewish people in the U.S. 鈥渆xtremely鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� well, while another 33% say the party supports them somewhat well. About 41% say the Democratic Party supports the Jewish community 鈥渘ot very well鈥� or 鈥渘ot well at all.鈥�
Jewish adults even feel worse about President and the , although not by much 鈥� a noteworthy finding considering that Jewish Americans overwhelmingly identify as Democrats. About half of Jewish adults say Trump and Republicans don’t support Jewish people in the U.S. well.
The poll also suggests a sense of isolation. Despite the Jewish community’s widespread concerns about antisemitism, Americans overall are far less concerned, with only 38% of U.S. adults saying prejudice against Jewish people is an 鈥渆xtremely鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� serious problem.
Some Jewish adults feel 鈥榣ost politically’
Nearly three years after the war in Gaza began, it’s not just Jewish Democrats who are re-examining their political loyalties.
Max Sacher, a 27-year-old Jewish Republican from Austin, Texas, said he was generally pleased with Trump鈥檚 support for the Jewish community until he saw the president鈥檚 latest diplomatic attempt to end . Trump launched the war in partnership with Israeli Prime Minister .
鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the most embarrassing documents I鈥檝e read. It basically cedes everything to Iran,鈥� said Sacher, who is a graduate student in finance. 鈥淚 feel very lost politically. I used to have a home. Now I feel like I鈥檓 on an island in modern-day politics.鈥�
Jewish voters made up 3% of the 2024 electorate, according to AP VoteCast. They overwhelmingly voted Democratic, with 66% casting ballots for Vice President Kamala Harris and 33% for Trump.
On some key questions, Jewish adults see things differently than Americans overall.
U.S. adults in general are more likely than Jewish adults to see Trump as 鈥渆xtremely鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� supportive of Jewish people in the United States. About 3 in 10 U.S. adults say Trump is highly supportive of Jewish people, compared to about 2 in 10 Jewish adults.
Most Jewish adults, 77%, say there is more prejudice against Jewish people compared with three years ago, before the Hamas attack.
Ellen Kuberski, a 72-year-old Jewish Democrat from Chicago, scoffed when asked about Trump. She described a 鈥済eneral disgust and hatred鈥� for the Republican president. But she鈥檚 also upset with the Democratic Party, which she says has been much more supportive of the Palestinians than Israel or American Jews in recent years. She was especially upset when progressive activists were protesting against Israel even when the Israeli hostages were still captive in Gaza.
鈥淚 tend to be more in line with the far left in just about everything else. But now the far left is attacking the Jewish community,” she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 enough antisemitism in the world that we don鈥檛 need politicians on what鈥檚 supposed to be on our side coming out with that crap.鈥�
Jewish Americans are split on Netanyahu, Mamdani and Trump
The Jewish community is divided over some of the people at the forefront of the Israel debate. However, New York City Mayor , a democratic socialist who is a vocal critic of Israel, is more popular among Jewish adults than Netanyahu or Trump, who promised to be “the best friend Jewish Americans have ever had in the White House.鈥�
About 4 in 10 Jewish adults, 44%, view Mamdani 鈥渟omewhat鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� favorably, while a similar share, 39%, view him 鈥渟omewhat鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� unfavorably. About 2 in 10 Jewish adults don鈥檛 know enough to say.
Kylle Epstein, a 24-year-old Jewish Democrat from Clearwater, Florida, cheered Mamdani and like-minded Democrats who have won recent .
鈥淚 think Mamdani is absolutely phenomenal. He makes Democrats think,鈥� Epstein said, calling for “new blood in the party.”
On Netanyahu, only about one-third of Jewish adults have a 鈥渟omewhat鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� favorable opinion of the Israeli prime minister, while about 6 in 10 have a 鈥渟omewhat鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� unfavorable view, including 42% who have a 鈥渧ery鈥� unfavorable opinion. About 1 in 10 don鈥檛 know enough to say.
Jewish adults have a slightly more negative view of Trump than Netanyahu, with a similar share, 29%, saying they view Trump favorably.
Meanwhile, the poll found that Pennsylvania Gov. , one of the nation’s most prominent Jewish Democratic officials, is still unknown by many Jewish adults.
About 4 in 10 Jewish adults have a 鈥渟omewhat鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� favorable opinion of the Democratic governor, while about 2 in 10 have a 鈥渟omewhat鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� unfavorable opinion. About 4 in 10 don鈥檛 know enough to say.
Many think the US is too supportive of Israel
In interviews, many Jewish adults indicated that their Jewish heritage does not mean they want the U.S. government to provide unconditional support of Israel.
In fact, about 4 in 10 Jewish adults say the U.S. is 鈥渢oo supportive鈥� of the Israelis, similar to U.S. adults overall, although about 3 in 10 Jewish adults say the U.S. is 鈥渘ot supportive enough鈥� of Israel, compared to only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults.
At the same time, about 4 in 10 Jewish adults say the U.S. is 鈥渘ot supportive enough鈥� of the Palestinians, similar to U.S. adults.
The issue is salient for Jewish adults in a way that it’s not for many Americans. About 6 in 10 Jewish adults say Israel is an 鈥渆xtremely鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� important issue to them personally, compared to only 35% of U.S. adults.
鈥淛ews and Israel are connected, but they鈥檙e not synonyms,鈥� said Levin, the former librarian from Los Angeles.
She said that the lack of understanding on both sides has fueled a rise of antisemitism, even in a city packed with Democrats.
She was walking along Los Angeles’ famed Olvera Street with her husband last month when they came across a spray-painted sign on the sidewalk that read, 鈥淒eath to Zionists,” alongside an upside down triangle that has been associated with Hamas.
Levin said it’s getting harder and harder to support Democrats, although she doesn’t think she could vote Republican.
鈥淚 mostly shake my head a lot and try to breathe,鈥� she said.
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Sanders reported from Washington.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
The AP-NORC poll of 3,040 adults was conducted June 11-17 using a sample drawn from NORC鈥檚 probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The poll included interviews with 1,022 Jewish adults. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points and the margin of sampling error for Jewish adults is plus or minus 5.0 percentage points.
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