Gaza backlash drives global disapproval of Benjamin Netanyahu

Gallup International survey across 58 countries finds widespread disapproval, with Muslim-majority regions recording some of the strongest unfavorable ratings

By Abdullahi Yusuf

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing one of the most severe downturns in global opinion recorded for a major world leader in recent years, according to the Gallup International End of Year Survey 2025.

The survey, conducted by the Gallup International Association across 58 countries and based on responses from 57,864 people, finds that Netanyahu’s global standing has deteriorated sharply since 2019.

The End of Year study, first launched in 1977, is among the world’s longest-running cross-national public opinion surveys and tracks attitudes toward leading global figures over time.

Globally, a clear majority of respondents, 61%, hold an unfavorable view of Netanyahu and only 19% of express a favorable opinion.

As many as 20% say they do not know or decline to answer. That translates into a global net favorability score of –42, placing him deep in negative territory.

Out of the 58 countries surveyed, 53 register a net negative rating for the Israeli leader. Only five countries record a net positive score. In other words, roughly 91% of the countries surveyed tilt negative overall.

The five countries where Netanyahu receives net positive ratings are Azerbaijan, Kenya, India, Ukraine, and Georgia. Azerbaijan posts the strongest positive net score at +24, followed by Kenya at +22 and India at +10.

Ukraine and Georgia record marginally positive scores at +2 each.

In all other countries surveyed, negative views outweigh positive ones. The strongest negative ratings are recorded in Iran, where the net score stands at –97. Iraq follows at –81, Bosnia and Herzegovina at –80, Syria at –77, and Norway at –75.

Several Western European countries also show deeply negative results, underscoring how broad the shift in opinion has become.

Regional patterns reinforce the picture of widespread disapproval.

The Arab world records the most negative net score at –79. Western Europe stands at –59, while North East Asia also posts –59. Eastern Europe registers –37. South East Asia comes in at –38. Australasia records –26. Latin America shows –17. South Asia posts –11. Africa and North America, represented in the survey by the United States, both stand at –9.

Western Europe critical

In Western Europe, often regarded as part of Israel’s traditional diplomatic and political support base, public opinion appears especially critical.

Germany records a net score of –66. Spain stands at –61. Sweden at –71. Norway at –75. France at –42. The United Kingdom at –26. In several of these countries, the share of respondents holding very unfavorable views alone exceeds 40%.

In the United States, the only North American country included in the survey, Netanyahu’s net rating stands at –9. While this is less negative than much of Europe, it still indicates that unfavorable views outweigh favorable ones.

The data suggest that even in a country long considered Israel’s closest ally, opinion is more divided and slightly tilted against him.

Trend data show that this downturn is not a sudden spike but part of a longer erosion. In 2019, the global net favorability score for Netanyahu stood at –20. By the end of 2025, it had fallen to –42. Over the same period, unfavorable opinions rose from 41% to 61% globally, while favorable views slipped from 21% to 19%.

The slide is visible in several key European countries. Germany’s net rating has dropped from –35 in 2017 to –66 in 2025. Spain has fallen from –30 to –61 over the same period. Italy has moved from –14 in 2017 to –58 in 2025. Austria has declined from –31 to –61. Bosnia and Herzegovina reflects one of the sharpest shifts, plunging from –20 in 2017 to –80 in 2025.

These changes suggest a sustained and broad-based decline in sentiment across major European states over nearly a decade.

Demographic analysis indicates that negativity is widespread across age, gender, and socio-economic groups, though it varies in intensity. Men register a net score of –44, slightly more negative than women at –41. Older respondents aged 55 and above express the strongest disapproval at –50, compared with –36 among those under 34.

Religious affiliation also shapes perceptions. Muslim respondents record a net score of –56. Christian respondents stand at –31. Respondents identifying with no religion post –61, indicating even stronger negativity in that group. High-income economies overall show more negative views, with a net score of –49, compared with –31 in lower-income economies.

Employment status and education levels show relatively consistent patterns of disapproval, with no major group registering a positive global average.

Unpopular leader

In comparative terms, Netanyahu ranks among the least favorably viewed leaders included in this year’s survey. With a global net score of –42, he is seen more negatively than U.S. President Donald Trump, who records –31. Chinese President Xi Jinping posts –23. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands at –12.

Netanyahu’s rating is closely aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who records –41, placing both leaders at the lower end of global opinion in this wave.

In contrast, Pope Leo stands out as the only leader in the comparison with a clearly positive net rating, at +24, suggesting a sharp divergence between political leaders facing polarized global views and religious leadership attracting broader goodwill.

The findings come at a time when Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has reshaped global discourse around Israel and its leadership. Protests, diplomatic tensions, and debates at international forums have intensified scrutiny of Israel’s policies and military actions.

While the survey does not directly attribute causes for shifts in opinion, the timing places the results within a period of heightened global focus on the conflict.

The Gallup International End of Year Survey is carried out annually by a network of more than 65 independent polling organizations operating across continents.

For the 2025 wave, interviews were conducted between October and December in a mix of national and, in a few cases, urban samples. Countries used a combination of telephone interviews, online surveys, and face-to-face fieldwork. Sample sizes varied by country, with most interviewing around 1,000 adults aged 18 and above.

Because the survey series extends back several years, it allows analysts to track not only current attitudes but also long-term trends. In Netanyahu’s case, the data point to a marked deterioration in global sentiment since the late 2010s.

Whether these views will shift again as political dynamics change in Israel and the broader Middle East remains to be seen. For now, the numbers suggest that the Israeli prime minister is among the most negatively perceived global leaders measured in one of the world’s most established cross-national opinion studies.

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