Two in five American Jews view conservative activist Charlie Kirk as a friend of US Jewry, while nearly a third see him as an opponent, alongside strong negativity toward the UN, rising criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, and deep pessimism about the year ahead, according to the Jewish People Policy Institute’s latest Jewish People’s Voice Index released Sunday.
JPPI said the index asked US Jewish panelists how they perceive Kirk. “Two in five American Jews identified Kirk as a friend of US Jews,” while 29% viewed him as an opponent, 18% as neutral, and 16% did not know, the institute said in a statement.
The splits were stark by denomination and vote: 79% of Haredi Jews and 62% of Orthodox respondents called Kirk a friend, compared with 41% of Reform and 24% of Conservative Jews who considered him an opponent. “Eighty-six percent of Trump voters saw Kirk as a friend,” JPPI reported, while “only 12% of Harris voters thought so,” and nearly half of Harris voters (47%) labeled him an opponent.
Views of the United Nations were overwhelmingly negative. “Seventy-nine percent declared they hold a negative view of the UN,” JPPI said, including 61% “very negative” and 18% “somewhat negative.”
On campus boycotts, the institute found a broad consensus that such steps cross a line. The statement said there was “broad agreement of 70%” that allowing academic institutions to boycott Israel is “both anti-Israel and antisemitic,” a higher share than in a comparable survey in Israel.
The index also captured skepticism about claims of widespread famine in Gaza. A “large majority of 70% answered that the reports were exaggerated,” JPPI said, including 44% who called them “very exaggerated” and 26% “somewhat exaggerated.”
Israel’s response in Gaza has been too aggressive
At the same time, nearly half of US Jews now say Israel’s response in Gaza has been too aggressive, and that share is rising. “From 31% in January to 47% this month,” the institute said. Among those who defined themselves as “very liberal,” 69% said Israel’s response was “far too aggressive,” with another 16% calling it “a bit too aggressive,” for a total of 85% in that subgroup.
Respondents were split on end-game preferences. Forty-three percent said Israel should seek to end the war and secure a hostage deal “even if that means Hamas remains in control of the Strip,” while 42% said Israel should continue the war to remove Hamas “even if that means there will be no hostage deal,” JPPI noted. The institute said these figures are “very similar” to results recorded among Jews in Israel.
Looking ahead to the new year, the panel was markedly downbeat. Two-thirds (66%) said the United States “is on a path of deterioration and that this process will continue.” On Israel’s trajectory, 38% believed the country “is on a path of deterioration,” while 19% said it “is on a path of improvement,” and another 20% said they believe things will improve later. Regarding the world at large, 71% said it “is on a path of deterioration,” a view that “crosses political groups,” with 70% of both “very liberal” and “very conservative” respondents sharing it, according to the statement.
JPPI said the Jewish People’s Voice Index tracks attitudes among American Jews, who constitute nearly half of world Jewry. The institute released topline findings in Sunday’s statement.