87% of Jewish voters endorse Israel's right to exist. Only 33% call themselves Zionists — a 54-point gap. Israel ranks fifth among voting priorities. And 52% call Trump antisemitic.
11 National Polls, 6,000 Jewish Respondents: What JEI, JVRC, and Washington Post Surveys Found
Eleven surveys and research analyses spanning August 2025 to July 2026. Seven are primary national polls — JEI, JVRC, Washington Post/SSRS, AP/NORC, Berkeley/Rochester, JPPI, and the JEI post-election study — each with distinct sampling frames and methodologies. Four additional sources — a NYC-specific poll, Pew demographic data, JDCA tracking polls, and a Split Ticket precinct-level analysis — provide supplementary context. Combined, more than 6,000 Jewish respondents across the primary polls.
The central contradiction is stark: 87% of registered Jewish voters endorse Israel's right to exist as a Jewish homeland. Only 33% call themselves Zionists — a 54-point gap. Israel ranks fifth among Jewish voter policy priorities. Majorities oppose Israel's military conduct in Gaza and say Israel has committed war crimes. A majority call Donald Trump — the president who moved the embassy, recognized the Golan, and brokered the Abraham Accords — antisemitic. In the 2024 presidential election, 71% of Jewish voters chose Kamala Harris.
What follows is the data — organized by category, sourced to the specific survey, and presented with the surveyed population identified for each finding.
71% Harris, 26% Trump: How 1,000+ Jewish Voters Split in the 2024 Presidential Election
71% — of Jewish voters cast their ballot for Kamala Harris. 26% voted for Trump. (JEI post-election survey of 1,000+ Jewish voters, Mellman Group, October 30–November 8, 2024)
78% — of Jewish voters supported Harris in the CNN/Edison exit poll. 22% supported Trump. (CNN/Edison national exit poll, November 2024)
By denomination (JEI, November 2024):
84% — of Reform Jews voted for Harris.
75% — of Conservative Jews voted for Harris.
70% — of unaffiliated Jews voted for Harris.
74% — of Orthodox Jews voted for Trump.
Harris's 71% was nearly identical to Democratic performances in 2012 (70%) and 2016 (70%). The 2020 result (77% Biden) appears to have been the aberration, driven by Trump's unpopularity during COVID-19. Non-Orthodox Jewish voters supported Democrats at a higher rate in 2024 than in 2012 and 2016. (JVRC analysis, September 2025)
69% Democratic, 24% Republican: Jewish Party Affiliation Ahead of the 2026 Midterms
69% — of registered Jewish voters identify as Democrats. 24% Republican. 7% Independent. (JEI poll of 800 registered Jewish voters, Mellman Group, March 13–23, 2026. MOE ±3.5%)
67% — of self-identified Jewish voters intend to support Democrats in the 2026 midterms — on par with spring 2024. (JVRC poll of 800 self-identified Jewish voters, GBAO Strategies, April 28–May 3, 2026. MOE ±3.5%)
74% — of Jewish women in the JEI sample identify as Democrats, including 50% who are strong Democrats. (JEI, March 2026)
78–19% — Jewish women's generic ballot split in the JEI sample: 78% Democratic, 19% Republican, 3% undecided. (JEI, March 2026)
Reform 84%, Orthodox 74% Trump: The Denominational Gradient That Shapes the Jewish Vote
The gradient tracks closely with religious observance. Reform and unaffiliated Jews — roughly 54% of the American Jewish population — vote overwhelmingly Democratic. Orthodox Jews — 9% of the population — vote overwhelmingly Republican. Conservative Jews, at 17%, lean Democratic but less decisively. The familiar 70-30 split is largely a weighted average of these populations.
Synagogue attendance sharpens the divide: 81% of Jews who never attend services voted for Harris, compared to 61% of those attending more than once a month. (JEI, November 2024)
9% of American Jews Are Orthodox — But 17% of Jews Under 30: The Demographic Shift Ahead
9% — of American Jews are Orthodox — but they represent 17% of Jews under 30. (Split Ticket analysis drawing on Nishma Research data, February 2025)
70%+ — intermarriage rate among non-Orthodox American Jews. (Pew Research Center, Jewish Americans in 2020)
Two-thirds of Orthodox Jews are Haredi, whose families are significantly larger than those in Reform or unaffiliated communities. If these demographic patterns hold, the Orthodox share of the Jewish electorate will grow substantially over the coming decades — a shift that could move the aggregate Jewish vote rightward without a single voter changing their mind. That remains a demographic hypothesis, not something these polls demonstrate, but it is one the data strongly suggests.
28% Approval, 72% Disapproval: Jewish Voters on Trump's Job Performance in May 2026
28% — of Jewish voters surveyed approve of Trump's job performance. (JVRC poll of 800 self-identified Jewish voters, May 2026)
72% — disapprove. (JVRC, May 2026)
19% — favorability for JD Vance among the same sample. (JVRC, May 2026)
27% — favorability for Marco Rubio. (JVRC, May 2026)
76% — disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy. (JVRC poll of 800 self-identified Jewish voters, May 2025)
74% — disapprove of Trump's handling of foreign policy. (JVRC, May 2025)
52% Antisemitic, 73% Dangerous, 68% Racist: How 800 Jewish Voters Describe Trump in the JVRC Survey
In the JVRC May 2026 survey, respondents were asked whether the following words describe Trump "well" or "not well":
73% — say "dangerous" describes Trump well.
71% — say "criminal" describes Trump well.
68% — say "racist" describes Trump well.
52% — say "antisemitic" describes Trump well.
This is the president who moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, brokered the Abraham Accords, and defunded UNRWA. The data does not tell us why a majority of Jewish voters apply the word "antisemitic" to a president with that operational record. What definition of the term are these respondents using? Has its meaning expanded beyond prejudice against Jews into something closer to a general political judgment? The polling raises the question. It does not answer it.
80% — disagree with Trump's statement that "any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion and should be ashamed of themselves." (JDCA tracking poll)
84% — of those who disagree say that statement itself is antisemitic. (JDCA tracking poll)
64% — disapprove of Trump's efforts to combat antisemitism. (JVRC, May 2025)
90% Concerned, Both Sides Blamed: The Antisemitism Double Bind in JEI and JVRC Polling
90% — of Jewish voters surveyed are concerned about antisemitism in the United States. (JVRC, May 2026)
73% — believe the war with Iran will lead to increased antisemitism. (JVRC, May 2026)
50% — of American Jews in a panel survey report concealing their Jewishness when traveling in unfamiliar surroundings. (JPPI Voice of the Jewish People panel, August 2025)
72% — of Jewish respondents in a university survey are concerned about rising antisemitism on U.S. campuses. (Berkeley/Rochester survey of 1,166 Jewish respondents, conducted by Ipsos, September 2025)
Across these surveys, a striking double bind emerges.
A large majority of registered Jewish voters say too many critics of Israel use language that plays into antisemitic tropes, whether intended or not. (JEI, March 2026)
A majority of the same sample say too many supporters of Israel use claims of antisemitism to avoid legitimate debate over policy. (JEI, March 2026)
73% — of concerned Jewish NYC voters link the rise in antisemitism directly to the normalization of anti-Zionism. (Jewish Majority / Mercury poll of 665 NYC Jewish voters who voted in the November 2025 mayoral election, February 2026. MOE ±3.8%. NYC only.)
This is the finding that complicates every simple narrative about American Jews and Israel. They see real antisemitism in anti-Israel rhetoric — and real bad faith in how antisemitism charges are deployed to shut down policy debate. Both at the same time. From the same respondents.
60% Oppose University Funding Cuts: Jewish Voters Reject Trump's Campus Antisemitism Strategy
70%+ — of Jewish respondents in the Berkeley/Rochester survey believe Trump uses the Jewish community as a "pretext" to attack academia. (Berkeley/Rochester, conducted by Ipsos, September 2025)
60% — oppose the Trump administration's decision to cut federal funding to universities for allegedly failing to combat antisemitism. (Berkeley/Rochester, September 2025)
75% — view the funding cuts as a political move rather than genuine enforcement. (Berkeley/Rochester, September 2025)
87% Endorse Israel's Right to Exist — But 61% Say It Committed War Crimes in Gaza
87% — of registered Jewish voters endorse Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state and homeland. (JEI, March 2026)
70% — of self-identified Jewish voters feel emotionally attached to Israel. (JVRC, May 2026)
68% — of American Jews in the Washington Post sample have an unfavorable view of Netanyahu. 48% rate his leadership as "poor." (Washington Post / SSRS national probability sample, September 2025)
55% — of Jewish voters surveyed oppose the way Israel conducted the war in Gaza. (JVRC, May 2026)
On military operations:
46–48% — split on Israel's actions in Gaza — 46% approve, 48% oppose. (Washington Post / SSRS, September 2025)
31% — of Jewish respondents support Israel's military campaign in Gaza. 58% oppose. (Berkeley/Rochester survey, conducted by Ipsos, September 2025)
61% — say Israel has committed war crimes against Palestinians. (Washington Post / SSRS, September 2025)
39% — believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. (Washington Post / SSRS, September 2025)
A majority of American Jews in the JPPI panel believe Israel's actions in Gaza have consequences for diaspora Jewish communities. (JPPI, August 2025)
The polling suggests an attachment increasingly centered on Israel as an idea and homeland, rather than support for its current government, military policies, or political direction.
87% Pro-Israel, 33% Zionist: The 54-Point Gap That Collapsed a Political Category
87% support Israel's right to exist as a Jewish homeland.
33% call themselves Zionists.
A 54-point gap.
(JEI poll of 800 registered Jewish voters, March 2026)
The concept retains overwhelming support. The label does not. A significant minority of respondents say they are unsure about the definition of Zionism itself.
The Forward reported in June 2026 that a significant minority of JEI respondents both support Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state and say the best resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict involves replacing Israel with a binational state — a position widely considered anti-Zionist. These positions are difficult to reconcile, suggesting that for many American Jews, the terms "Zionism" and "anti-Zionism" no longer function as coherent political categories. (Forward analysis, June 2026)
Israel Ranks Fifth Among 14 Jewish Voter Priorities at 17% — Behind Democracy, Cost of Living, Antisemitism, and Healthcare
5th — Israel's rank among 14 Jewish voter policy priorities at 17% — behind the future of democracy (37%), cost of living (32%), antisemitism (25%), and healthcare (18%). (JVRC, May 2026)
37% — say the future of democracy is the most important issue determining their vote. (JVRC, May 2026)
17% — rank Israel as a top-two priority. But only 13% call it a dealbreaker issue — and of those, the majority cite insufficient support for Israel rather than opposition to Netanyahu's conduct. (JVRC, May 2026)
Israel may remain emotionally central to American Jewish identity. But as an electoral priority, it does not drive ballot decisions. The gap between emotional attachment and voting behavior is one of the defining features of this electorate.
AIPAC 39%, J Street 18%: Pro-Israel Institutional Favorability Among 800 Jewish Voters
39% — favorable impression of AIPAC among registered Jewish voters. (JEI, March 2026)
32% — favorable impression of DMFI. (JEI, March 2026)
18% — favorable impression of J Street. (JEI, March 2026)
11% — have heard "a great deal" about the role pro-Israel groups have played in the 2026 primaries. (JEI, March 2026)
Institutional pro-Israel branding is substantially less popular than Israel's existence itself. 87% endorse Israel's right to exist. 39% view AIPAC favorably. The gap between support for the country and support for the organizations that claim to represent it is another version of the 54-point gap.
71% Harris, 52% Call Trump Antisemitic, 87% Pro-Israel: The Numbers Neither Party Wants to Hear
87% support Israel's right to exist as a Jewish homeland. Only 33% call themselves Zionists. Israel ranks fifth among their voting priorities. Majorities oppose Israel's conduct in Gaza and say Israel has committed war crimes. A majority of Jewish voters in the JPPI panel believe Israel's wars endanger them as diaspora Jews. 52% call Donald Trump antisemitic despite an unprecedented record of pro-Israel presidential actions. 71% voted for Kamala Harris — nearly identical to 2012 and 2016 levels.
Those findings do not fit comfortably into either party's narrative about American Jews. They shouldn't. The numbers are more interesting than the narrative.
Sources, Methodology, and Surveyed Populations Across 11 Studies
Primary national polls:
1. Jewish Electorate Institute (JEI) Spring 2026 Poll — Mellman Group, March 13–23, 2026. n=800 registered Jewish voters + 600 Jewish women oversample. MOE ±3.5%. National online panel.
2. Jewish Voters Resource Center (JVRC) National Survey — GBAO Strategies, April 28–May 3, 2026. n=800 self-identified Jewish voters. MOE ±3.5%. National sample.
3. Washington Post / SSRS Poll — September 2025. n=1,504 adults including oversample of Jewish respondents. National probability sample.
4. Associated Press / NORC Poll — July 2026. n=1,022 Jewish adults (religious and cultural/ethnic identification). National sample.
5. University of California, Berkeley / University of Rochester Survey — conducted by Ipsos, September 2025. n=1,166 Jewish respondents. Academic survey.
6. JPPI Voice of the Jewish People Index — August 2025. Panel survey of U.S. and Israeli Jews. International panel.
7. JEI Post-Election Survey — Mellman Group, October 30–November 8, 2024. n=1,000+ Jewish voters. National online panel.
Supplementary sources:
Jewish Majority / Mercury Public Affairs — February 2026. n=665 Jewish NYC voters. MOE ±3.8%. NYC only — not nationally representative.
JVRC In-Depth Analysis of the Jewish Vote — September 2025. Multi-cycle analysis by denomination.
Split Ticket Analysis of the Jewish-American Vote — February 2025. Precinct-level and survey data aggregation.
Pew Research Center, Jewish Americans in 2020 — Denominational demographics, intermarriage, fertility.
JDCA Polling — Tracking polls of Jewish voter issue priorities. Multiple national samples.
CNN/Edison National Exit Poll — November 2024.
Forward analysis of JEI Zionism data — June 2026.
JVRC May 2025 National Survey — GBAO Strategies, April 22–May 1, 2025. n=800 self-identified Jewish voters. MOE ±3.5%. National sample.
Note on populations: These surveys use different sampling frames. JEI and JVRC poll registered or self-identified Jewish voters — a politically engaged subset. The Washington Post and AP poll broader populations of Jewish adults, including those who identify as Jewish through culture or ethnicity rather than religion. The Jewish Majority poll is limited to NYC voters. The JPPI survey is a panel that includes Israeli Jews. Claims in this article identify the surveyed population for each finding. "Jewish voters," "American Jews," and "Jewish adults" describe overlapping but distinct groups.