Why does the Gen Z and millennial generation have less support for Israel?

 Why does the Gen Z and millennial generation have less support for Israel?

According to a Harvard CAPS-Harris X survey, 51% of participants between the ages of 18 and 24 believe that Hamas has a right to murder Israeli citizens.

During a pro-Palestinian march on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, thousands of demonstrators gather at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC, with the US Capitol in the backdrop.

When Hamas invaded Israel a little more than a month ago, it cruelly murdered nearly 1,400 Israelis, including children and innocent bystanders. A letter criticizing Israel was produced shortly after the incident by a number of Harvard student groups.

Outrage and widespread criticism were directed on the student groups. A portion of the public response has been confusion regarding the students' behavior since colleges have seen an increase in antisemitism and threats of violence against Jewish students.

A crucial point has surfaced: Do younger people support Israel at a lower rate than older generations? Recent survey data clarifies this question.

Do the younger generations still support Israel as much?

The whole view: Millennials and Gen Z are less inclined than previous generations to support Israel, according to preliminary polling data. Although this varies greatly across surveys, there is a common pattern.

The specifics One day after The New York Times reported on a hospital explosion in Gaza, a Harvard CAPS-Harris X survey was conducted (the U.S. subsequently acknowledged information pointed to a wayward missile from Gaza). Initially, the Times ascribed the explosion to Israel via Hamas leaders.

According to the survey, a slim majority of participants between the ages of 18 and 24 (51%) said that the grievances of Palestinians might justify the murders of Israeli civilians by Hamas, a terrorist organization recognized by the US State Department. Not far behind, 48% of those in the 25–35 age range likewise expressed same opinion.

On the other hand, the majority of older Americans, including those in the 55–64 age group, said that the murders could not be justified (89%) and those in the 65+ age group supported this view somewhat more (91%).

In an interview with the Deseret News, Senior Fellow Samuel Abrams of the American Enterprise Institute said that he has seen additional tendencies that align with the younger generation's lack of support for Israel.

"There is a massive historical deficiency that exists now. We are not conversing with the past at this time. Of course, acknowledging and studying the history is something that Judaism, LDS, and other faiths hold dear, according to Abrams. "Those who are older and have studied history are aware of this, according to the surveys. They are aware of this.

He continued, saying, "Younger folks don't know any history and they're not being taught any history." He said that he felt this way about the history of the Jewish people's relationship to the area and the history of the country of Israel.

Other surveys conducted just after Hamas's assault on Israel had various queries:

According to an Economist/YouGov study, Gen Z and younger millennials were the most likely to identify as pro-Palestinian. Although a somewhat higher percentage of them expressed sympathy for Israel, their support was still much less than that of the broader population.

A few days after Israeli troops began retaliating, an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll revealed that opinions among Gen Z and millennials were split on whether Israel's reaction was "about right" or "too much."

A Quinnipiac University survey conducted a few days after the Israel-Hamas conflict began revealed that most members of Generation Z and millennials were against the United States supplying Israel with military hardware.

"Most Americans favor ensuring Israel has the armaments it needs, with the exception of young voters. Who is to blame for the problem that is becoming worse? No ambiguity... registered voters are gravely concerned that the violence may spread and engulf the Middle East, according to Hamas, according to Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy, who made this statement in the poll's press release.

According to the surveys, Gen Z and millennials are generally less inclined than earlier generations to support Israel. Polls taken before Hamas launched its first onslaught show more people favor Israel than did the Harvard survey, although younger generations' views on the matter repeatedly and markedly deviated from those of the broader American population.

The Harvard CAPS-Harris X survey asked whether or not the United States should support Israel, but it did not directly address military assistance.

Of the respondents, thirty percent were between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four, and forty-one percent were between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-four. Every other generation over 35 agreed that America should support Israel.

In addition, a crucial question in the survey inquired about respondents' perceptions on the validity of the claim that Hamas terrorists had "killed 1,200 Israeli civilians by executing them, raping them, raping as well as beheading people including whole families, kids as well as babies" or how much it was "a false story."

All in all, most of the people surveyed said they thought this really occurred. Those in the 18 to 24 age range were the most likely to say it was a bogus tale (32%).

The way that Gen Zers get their news might be one reason why a greater proportion of them than members of any previous generation tend to believe that Hamas did not really murder people in a horrific manner.

Younger generations now turn to TikTok as their go-to news source, and others claim that the app's antisemitic material has fueled anti-Israel sentiment.

Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday, stating that TikTok ought to be outlawed. The letter was acquired by NBC News.

Using data from the Harvard CAPS-Harris X poll, Hawley stated, "Analysts have been linked to this disparity to the widespread adoption of anti-Israel content on TikTok, during which most young internet users get their knowledge about the world." The younger generation are more likely to think that Hamas' attack could be justified.

The Hill was informed by a TikTok representative that "there is no basis for these claims." Our community creates the content on TikTok, and user recommendations are solely based on content-neutral signals. 

The conclusions:

Compared to the broader population, Gen Z and millennials are less inclined to favor US help to Israel during the conflict.

More than any other generation, Gen Z feels compassion for the Palestinian people.

Of Gen Z, around one-third disputes that Hamas attacked Israel.

What is meant by this?

College campuses are becoming a prominent place where Gen Z conflicts over the Israel-Hamas conflict are evident. Several student groups on campus responded to the first Harvard letter. Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine said that Palestinians' "right to resist is enshrined in international law."

They denounced an email issued by general studies dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch, saying it "obfuscated Palestinian resistance as 'terrorism,'" and called Hamas' terrorist assault on Israel a "counter-offensive."

Since then, demonstrations have taken place often on campuses. There have been incidents of violence at prestigious campuses including Tulane University and University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

As to NBC News, a student from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst "was charged for allegedly punching a Jewish student as well as spitting on Israel’s flag following a vigil hosted on campus" on Friday.

Violence broke out at a protest at Tulane University in late October, leading to many arrests. "At a demonstration, three Tulane students were attacked... According to a university statement, "TUPD also arrested a suspect last night for malicious vandalism (graffiti) to a building near campus."