Nearly half of young Americans support Hamas more than Israel in the ongoing conflict between the two, according to a new Harvard University poll.
Among 18 to 24-year-olds, 48 per cent of those who expressed a view on the war favoured Hamas, with 52 per cent supporting Israel. Average support for Israel across age groups was 77 per cent, rising to 93 per cent among the over-65s.
The online survey, conducted by pollster HarrisX on 26 and 27 March 2025, included 2,746 registered voters across the United States, chosen to ensure a nationally representative sample. The results reveal a widening generational divide on US foreign policy, especially concerning Israel.
The youngest cohort’s support for Hamas has risen significantly since last year, when the same poll found that 72 per cent of the same age group supported Israel.
Nevertheless, 65 per cent of that age group – and 80 per cent in total – this year supported the proposition that “Hamas must release all remaining hostages without any conditions or face serious consequences”.
Further complicating the picture, 59 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds expressed disapproval of President Donald Trump’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, along with 51 per cent of those aged 25-34.
Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll March 2025 (Credit: Harvard CAPS Harris Poll)[Missing Credit]
The poll's findings also resonate with concerns about the rising prominence of anti-Israel activism on US college campuses. In recent months, pro-Palestinian protests have gained momentum at prestigious universities including Columbia and Harvard.
Under the Trump administration, these protests have sometimes led to legal consequences for students. Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian student from the West Bank who had allegedly overstayed her student visa, was arrested in New Jersey last month after taking part in protests. Ranjani Srinivasani, an Indian citizen, voluntarily "self-deported" after facing scrutiny.
Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student and activist at Columbia activist, is being held at an immigration detention facility in Louisiana, pending a legal review of the government’s attempt to deport him. He holds a green card, meaning he has a right to permanent residency that can nonetheless be revoked under certain conditions
In early March, Trump withheld $400 million in government grants to and contracts with Columbia University, citing concerns over antisemitism. His administration has also initiated a review of over $9 billion in federal funding to Harvard, based on similar concerns.
Josh Gruenbaum, a senior official at the General Services Administration, which manages US government assets, said: “Harvard’s failure to protect students on campus from antisemitic discrimination – all while promoting divisive ideologies over free enquiry – has put its reputation in serious jeopardy.”
The poll also asked respondents about US support for military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities. In response, 55 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds opposed US involvement in airstrikes aimed at neutralising Iran's nuclear weapons.
This opposition aligns with broader scepticism among younger Americans towards military intervention in the Middle East, shaped in part by the legacy of the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Trump, who pulled the US out of a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran during his first term, has begun piling pressure on the Islamic Republic to negotiate a new agreement. “If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing,” he said over the weekend.
