A majority of US Jews prefer the current opposition to win Israel’s upcoming election, according to the Jewish People Policy Institute’s (JPPI) August 2026 Voice of the Jewish People Index.
The survey found that 54% of US respondents prefer the current opposition to win, compared with 14% who prefer the current coalition. Eight percent said they have no preference, while 24% said it is not their place to say.
Preferences differed sharply according to political orientation. Among strong liberals, 78% preferred the opposition, as did 71% of those who lean liberal. Among strong conservatives, 56% preferred the coalition, while 8% preferred the opposition. Among Trump voters, 43% preferred the coalition and 13% the opposition, while 34% said it was not their place to say. Among Harris voters, 74% preferred the opposition and 1% preferred the coalition.
Among respondents eligible to vote in Israel, 55% preferred the opposition and 26% preferred the coalition. Among those not eligible to vote, 53% preferred the opposition and 14% preferred the coalition. Twenty-five percent of those not eligible to vote said it was not their place to say, compared with 15% of eligible voters.
The survey also found that 78% of US respondents follow news about the Israeli election very or somewhat closely, including 35% who follow it very closely and 43% somewhat closely. Only 8% of respondents hold Israeli citizenship and are eligible to vote.
Attention to the election was higher among those eligible to vote: 63% said they follow developments very closely and 29% somewhat closely. Among those not eligible to vote, 32% follow very closely and 45% somewhat closely.
Respondents were also asked about Israelis living abroad who travel to Israel to vote. Sixty-five percent said that if people care enough to invest the time and money required to travel back to Israel, their vote is legitimate. Seventeen percent said participation by people who do not live in Israel and do not bear the consequences of their vote is problematic, while 18% said they did not know.
Majorities of both Trump voters and Harris voters regarded such voting as legitimate, at 58% and 70% respectively. Twenty-seven percent of Trump voters said such voting is problematic, compared with 12% of Harris voters. Among respondents eligible to vote in Israel, 27% regarded such participation as problematic, compared with 16% of those not eligible to vote.
Most respondents said they did not know Israelis living outside Israel who plan to travel to Israel to vote. In the US, 63% said they knew no such Israelis, while 37% said they knew many, a few, or one or two.
The survey was conducted August 15-20, 2026, among 804 US respondents, 136 Canadian respondents and 68 UK respondents. JPPI said the survey primarily reflects the views of “connected” Jews with relatively strong ties to the Jewish community, Israel and/or Jewish identity, and that the sample is not representative of all US Jews. Canadian and UK findings were presented as indicative trends due to the small sample sizes.