By Sardar Khan Niazi

For decades, Benjamin Netanyahu cultivated an image unlike any other Israeli leader. Fluent in American political language, equally comfortable in Washington think tanks and television studios, he understood that Israel’s greatest strategic asset was not merely military superiority but enduring bipartisan support in the United States. That asset is no longer what it once was. Netanyahu’s political success at home has increasingly coincided with Israel’s declining popularity across broad sections of American society. While successive US administrations have continued to back Israel’s security, public opinion has undergone a profound transformation. Polls now consistently show growing skepticism toward both Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and Netanyahu’s leadership, particularly among younger Americans and Democrats. This shift did not occur overnight. It was the product of years of political choices. Perhaps Netanyahu’s most consequential gamble was aligning Israel so closely with one side of America’s deeply polarized political spectrum. His 2015 speech to the US Congress, delivered over the objections of President Barack Obama, marked a turning point. Although applauded by Republicans, it convinced many Democrats that Israel had become a partisan issue rather than a shared strategic commitment. Historically, bipartisan support insulated the US-Israel relationship from electoral cycles. Netanyahu gradually weakened that consensus. The Gaza war accelerated trends already underway. Images of widespread destruction, mounting civilian casualties and a worsening humanitarian crisis dominated global media. University campuses erupted in protest. Progressive activists demanded conditions on US military aid, while even many moderate Americans began questioning whether unwavering support remained consistent with their values. Surveys show increasingly negative perceptions of both Israel and Netanyahu, especially among younger voters in both major political parties. For Israel, this is a strategic challenge that extends beyond the current conflict. American public opinion has historically shaped long-term foreign policy. Congressional majorities may still support Israel today, but demographic and generational changes suggest that future administrations will face greater domestic pressure to reassess that relationship. Netanyahu’s defenders argue that security realities leave Israel with few alternatives. Hamas’s October 2023 attacks fundamentally altered Israeli public opinion and reinforced demands for decisive military action. From this perspective, criticism abroad often overlooks the security threats Israel continues to face. Critics counter that military success cannot substitute for diplomatic legitimacy. They argue that without a credible political strategy for the Palestinians, Israel risks winning battles while losing international support. The debate is no longer confined to progressive circles. Increasing concern has emerged among American Jewish communities, foreign-policy experts and even traditionally pro-Israel commentators who fear that Netanyahu’s leadership has weakened Israel’s standing with its most important ally. Ironically, Netanyahu spent much of his career presenting himself as the indispensable guardian of the US-Israel alliance. Few foreign leaders invested more effort in cultivating Washington. Yet his political instincts, effective in navigating Israeli domestic politics, proved less successful in preserving America’s broad public consensus. The consequences may outlast his premiership. Support between governments can endure through treaties, military cooperation and intelligence sharing. Support among people is harder to rebuild once lost. Public attitudes evolve slowly, and generational shifts often become permanent. Israel will almost certainly remain a critical American ally. Shared security interests, technological cooperation and regional strategy ensure that. But alliances depend not only on governments. They also depend on legitimacy in the eyes of citizens.  Netanyahu may have preserved official backing in Washington for years. Yet if public opinion continues moving in the opposite direction, history may remember that Israel’s longest-serving prime minister achieved a paradox: he strengthened ties with particular American leaders while weakening Israel’s standing with America itself.