From Victim To Aggressor: How Young Americans View Israel – OpEd
The recent protests by students in the United States against Israel’s brutal behavior in the Gaza war indicate the younger American generation’s rejection of Israel’s narrative of being the victim. In the collective consciousness of these young people, Israel is not only an oppressed nation but also an aggressor who has violated the rights of the Palestinian people. In the view of these young people, the Israeli government lacks legitimacy and is seen as an occupying force that disregards the undeniable right of Palestinians to live in their ancestral land.
The slogans and demands of young Americans call to end their country’s unconditional support for Israel. They believe the only way to establish a sustainable ceasefire between Palestinians and Israelis is through a ceasefire that does not involve the seasoned military personnel and failed politicians from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, as their role has been purely incendiary.
Over the past 76 years, since the establishment of Israel, the United States has consistently supported Israel and Israel has relied on American financial aid, weapons, as well as Washington’s unconditional political support, for its survival and progress and until recently, Israel has enjoyed bipartisan support as well as the backing of American voters. For citizens of the United States, Israel’s narrative has always been intertwined with the Holocaust, and they supported Israel and Jews as victims of genocide.
Until October 7, the public diplomacy of Israel had been successful in portraying the country as a haven for genocide victims. This narrative, known as Hasbara, had secured the support of American Public opinion and politicians and became the closest ally of the United States in one of the most unstable regions of the world. But now, with the brutal bombings of Gaza, the situation has changed and Israel is losing the public diplomacy battle to garner the support of American voters, especially the younger generation known as Generation Z. In fact, this is the first time that the Palestinian conflict has overshadowed Israel’s narrative and strengthened the inquisitive minds of young people in America and Europe.
Now, with the onset of the Gaza war, the young generation in America is questioning Israel’s narrative of victimhood and accusing their politicians of providing unconditional support to Israel at the expense of Palestinian aspirations. The questioning by young people has been taken so seriously that the Brookings Institution reported clear generational differences in the attitudes of young Americans toward Israel. According to this research, only 41% of individuals aged 18 to 29 have a positive view of Israel, compared to 69% of those aged 65 and older. The December Harvard/Harris poll painted an even more dire picture for Israel. According to this poll, 67% of American youth aged 18 to 24 consider Israel as an oppressor and 60% believe that Hamas’s attack is the result of deep dissatisfaction created by Israel in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank.
In the collective memory of young Americans, Israel is no longer seen as a home for genocide survivors, but rather as a base for an occupying and colonial power. In the time since the events of October 7, these young people have witnessed Gaza turning into an open-air prison and have observed relentless violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. They have realized the truth of how their politicians have remained silent in the face of blatant human rights violations in Gaza and have continued their unconditional support for Israel’s inhumane actions. These young people are no longer influenced by traditional pro-Israeli media as in the past. They follow news about the extent and intensity of Israeli attacks on Gaza through social media platforms like TikTok, which has 116.5 million users in the U.S., and through news agencies like Al Jazeera. In this regard, the hashtag “FreePalestine” has been viewed 11 million times on TikTok, while “StandWithIsrael” has only been clicked 278,000 times.
Such comparisons have occurred on other social networks, including Instagram. The importance of American youth’s involvement in development in Palestine has reached a point where politicians such as Mitt Romney and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken have acknowledged it, expressing concern about the negative impact of social media on the pro-Israel narrative regarding the war against Gaza. It is clear that young Americans who have spent most of their lives witnessing the 20-year wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, now see the same ineffective and failed politicians from those wars beating the drum of absolute support for Israel, while citizens within the U.S. are facing increasing economic and psychological challenges, ranging from an epidemic of depression to $1.75 trillion in student loan debt.
In fact, the public diplomacy of Israel, after years of being largely unchallenged and without serious competition, is now facing a formidable barrier in the collective memory barrier of Generation Z in the United States and dissatisfaction from progressive politicians. Nowadays, these young people, unlike in past years, have witnessed the disregard for the Palestinian people’s demands for a dignified and honorable life. They have gained access to real and uncensored information through social media networks, helping them understand the true situation and they do not accept their country’s unconditional support for Israel. They advocate for America to play a stabilizing role in achieving a stable peace – one that ends Israel’s oppression of Palestine and leads to the establishment of a free and independent Palestine.
