As anti-Israel protests roil university campuses, a new survey confirms that Generation Z is, indeed, less likely to support the Jewish state than the general population.
The survey of nearly 1,500 U.S. voters by Summit.org in partnership with RMG Research shows that Americans remain supportive of Israel while voters ages 18-24 are more likely to be sympathetic to Hamas and Palestinians.
Asked if “Israel has a right to exist as the nation in the Middle East,” 77 percent of all voters say it does while 56 percent of Gen Z voters say as much. Although 10 percent of American voters oppose Israel’s right to exist, 33 percent of Gen Z voters do.
That pattern is seen on other questions.
Asked if they agree with the U.S. government classifying Hamas as a terrorist group, 81 percent of all voters but 61 percent of Gen Z voters do.
Nearly half (47 percent) of Gen Z voters agree that “Israel’s wealth and military power makes its campaign against Hamas unjust,” while just 21 percent of all U.S. voters do.
“We are now seeing the logical outcome of an education system that teaches students to see the world through a lens of racialist resentment. Gen Z is so embarrassed about being American that a large swath of them have become terrorist sympathizers,” said Jeff Myers, president of Summit Ministries.
“Gen Z is three times as likely as the general population to deny Israel’s right to exist. Sympathy for Hamas has grown,” Myers said. “This should be a massive wake-up call to parents, educators, and cultural leaders -- we now have a generation primed to accept without question the propaganda of those who wish to overturn Judeo-Christian civilization.”
The survey was released as protests continue to stir across U.S. campuses. This week, Columbia University canceled in-person classes for the remainder of the semester after arresting more than 100 anti-Israel protesters. Dozens were arrested this week after similar protests at Yale University and New York University.
In D.C., members of both parties said university administrators must do more to protect Jewish students. U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (N.J.), Dan Goldman (N.Y.), Jared Moskowitz (Fla.) and Kathy Manning (N.C.) on Tuesday visited Columbia University. All are Democrats.
A news release from the representatives said a masked protester shouted, “We are Hamas. We’re all Hamas,” while another protester shouted to Jewish students, “Go back to Europe.”
“Jewish students are being verbally -- and even physically -- assaulted,” Gottheimer said. “Masked protesters are cheering on and actively calling for the genocide of Jews. Imagine trying to study for finals at Columbia, while people outside the library are calling for your death. To the administrators at Columbia and beyond, here are our demands: stop the double talk, and start acting. Discipline harassers. Restore civility on this campus. Encourage peaceful, constructive, civil dialogue. Every student has a right to be safe on campus.”
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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
