Jpost
The larger majority of American Jews strongly support the United States entering the war against Iran while simultaneously expressing concern that the conflict could damage Israel’s image in the US and fuel antisemitism, according to a new flash survey conducted by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI).
The survey, conducted on Thursday (March 5), found that 3/4 of respondents supported the US decision to go to war against Iran.
The results highlight a Jewish community that largely views Iran as a serious threat while remaining deeply aware of the potential political and social consequences of the conflict inside the United States.
Support for the war varied sharply along ideological lines. Among strong liberal Jews, 62% opposed the war, and 28% supported it. Among centrists, support climbed to 88%.
Among leaning conservatives and strong conservatives, support reached 98% and 100%, respectively.
Voting patterns in the 2024 US presidential election also played a major role. Jewish voters for Trump overwhelmingly supported the war, with 99% backing the US decision.
JPPI uses the term ‘connected American Jews’ to mean respondents who are more engaged in Jewish communal life and more attentive to Israel and Jewish issues than the broader Jewish public.
The survey also asked respondents what the war’s main objective should be.
A clear majority, 58%, said the goal should be a broad dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missile capabilities, and support for terrorism. Another 27% supported regime change in Tehran as the primary objective.
A miniscule 3% said the focus should be limited to Iran’s nuclear program alone.
Support for regime change rose among respondents on the political Right. Nineteen percent of strong liberals supported that goal compared with 41% of strong conservatives. Across the ideological spectrum, however, the most common answer remained the broader objective of weakening Iran’s military and terror infrastructure.
Another question touched on a central political debate surrounding the war: whether US President Donald Trump had been persuaded by Israel to take military action.
Perhaps fearing the obvious political backlash, 72% of Jews polled said Israel played no role in convincing Trump. Fourteen percent said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convinced him, while another 14% said they ‘did not know’.
War’s potential impact on Israel’s image
Despite broad support for the war itself, respondents expressed significant concern about its potential impact on Israel’s standing in American society.
Forty-five percent said the war would harm Israel’s image in the United States, while 32% said it would make no difference, and 10% said it would improve Israel’s image.
The expectation of reputational damage was strongest among liberals. Seventy-two percent of strong liberals and 64% of leaning liberals said Israel’s image would suffer.
Among centrists, the most common response was that the war would have little effect on Israel’s standing.
Respondents also voiced concern about antisemitism.
Fifty-two percent said the war would likely increase antisemitism in the United States, while 33% said it would make no difference, and only 4% said antisemitism would decline.
Concern was particularly strong among Reform and Conservative respondents, with 52% and 54% respectively predicting a rise in antisemitism. Among Modern Orthodox and Haredi respondents, the expectation of increased antisemitism was lower, although still significant.
The findings offer a snapshot of opinion among highly engaged Jews regarding Israel and Jewish communal life. That group often responds more quickly to geopolitical developments involving Israel and the Middle East.
At the same time, the survey suggests that support for confronting Iran militarily does not eliminate anxiety about the domestic environment for Jews in the United States.
Many respondents appear to hold two views simultaneously, which is that Iran represents a threat that must be addressed and at the same time that the political fallout in America could still be severe.
War reaches US
That tension reflects a broader reality facing Jewish communities during moments of major conflict involving Israel. Military developments thousands of miles away often reverberate directly inside American campuses, political debates, and public discourse.
For many American Jews, the war against Iran is therefore not only a geopolitical event. It is also a moment that could reshape how Israel and Jewish identity are discussed in the United States.
Recent polling suggests these views are far more supportive of military action than those of the broader American public. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted February 28 to March 1 found that only 27% of Americans approved of the US strikes on Iran as opposed to American Jews who overwhelmingly support it.
An Economist/YouGov poll similarly found that 37% approved of the attacks and 48% disapproved. The gap demonstrates that while connected American Jews in the JPPI survey largely backed the war, the wider US public remained considerably more opposed.