Boundless polling finds deep gaps in US ability to recognize instances of antisemitism

Boundless CEO Aviva Klompas said in a statement, "Three years after October 7, Americans can see that antisemitism is getting worse, but too many struggle to recognize it and call it out."

Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe antisemitism has increased since the October 7, 2023, attacks, yet many continue to struggle with identifying and calling out common instances of anti-Jewish hatred in practice. 

Released in October 2026 by Boundless, a new national polling report conducted by Burson Insights & Intelligence reveals deep gaps in the public's ability to recognize antisemitism, particularly when it intersects with Israel-related speech, protests, and geopolitical events.

The report is divided into two core sections: attitudes towards American Jews after three years of war, and Israel's upcoming election alongside attitudes toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The survey sampled 1,500 US adults between September 4 and September 11. 

Boundless CEO Aviva Klompas said in a statement, "Three years after October 7, Americans can see that antisemitism is getting worse, but too many struggle to recognize it and call it out when it's right in front of them." 

Klompas added, "There is no justification for surrounding a synagogue or harassing Jews in the name of political protest. It's not enough for Americans to acknowledge that antisemitism is rising. We need real policy, education, and action to combat this hatred today."

Majority of Americans notice rise in antisemitism since Oct. 7

The first section of the report examined attitudes towards American Jews after three years of war. The findings showed that 64% of Americans believe antisemitism or Jew-hatred has increased since October 7, 2023.

Among those who see antisemitism increasing, the top reasons cited included the spread of misinformation, Gaza protests, increased polarization, Jew-hatred becoming more socially acceptable, and a lack of condemnation.

Furthermore, the report claimed that 61% of Americans agree that criticism of Israel is often used as an excuse to express anti-Jewish views, a statistically significant increase from 53% in 2025. Despite these concerns, 30% of Americans remain unfamiliar with the term "antisemitism," with that unfamiliarity rising to 39% among young adults aged 18 to 34.

The report highlights that 1 in 5 Americans (21%) see antisemitism as a justified reaction to the Israel-Hamas war, a figure that jumps to more than 1 in 3 (35%) among young adults. Additionally, 15% of Americans believe American Jews are complicit in genocide.

Questions of loyalty also emerged. The report stated that almost a quarter (22%) of young adults believe American Jews support Israel more than the United States, and 25% of young adults state that an American who expresses strong support for Israel is less loyal to the United States.

Nearly half of Americans (44%) believe American Jews support the Netanyahu government, and 37% believe most American Jews support Israel's war in Gaza.

Regarding public perception of Jewish people overall, 69% of Americans hold a favorable view. However, favorability drops to 61% among young adults aged 18 to 34, a cohort where unfavorable views climbed to 29%.

The data further revealed that Americans who hold unfavorable views toward Israel are more than twice as likely to harbor unfavorable views of Jewish people compared to the general public (29% versus 12%).

Around 40% of US Jews have favorable view of Netanyahu

The second section of the report turned to Israel's upcoming election and attitudes toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The survey found that a little more than half of Americans (58%) can correctly identify Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel's prime minister. Overall, 40% of Americans view Netanyahu unfavorably, while 23% are unsure or have no opinion.

Favorability toward Netanyahu is divided sharply by age and political affiliation, with younger Americans and Democrats viewing him most unfavorably. Additionally, 19% of Americans reported that their views of Netanyahu shape how they view American Jews, and about one-third (35%) believed Netanyahu leaving office would improve their perceptions of Israel and Jewish people.

When examining what drives unfavorable views toward Israel, the report emphasized that concerns stem primarily from the conflict, policies, and leadership rather than opposition to Israel's existence as a Jewish state.

The polling highlighted limited public familiarity with Israeli democracy: only 30% of Americans know Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, only 27% know Arab citizens of Israel can vote in Israeli elections, and only 21% know Arabs serve in Israel's parliament.