Poll: Most American Jews oppose war on Iran

A new J Street poll finds 60% of American Jews oppose the U.S. war on Iran.

The poll of American Jews across the political spectrum, commissioned by J Street and conducted by GBAO strategies, found that 77% of respondents do not believe President Trump has a clear plan and mission for the war in Iran.

Nearly two-thirds, or 63%, of poll respondents agreed that concerns about Iran’s nuclear program were best solved through diplomacy and sanctions; only 37% agreed they were best addressed with military action. Meanwhile, 58% of respondents agreed that U.S. military action against Iran weakens the U.S., rather than strengthening it.

As members of J Street’s leadership point out, the findings indicate that most Jewish Americans want peace.

“This data is a wake-up call for anyone claiming to speak for the American Jewish community while beating the drums of war,” J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami said. “Most American Jews see this war for what it is: A reckless, unforced error by a President who has no clear, achievable goals or an exit strategy.”

The poll also highlights the large gap in opinion between American Jews and Israeli Jews, with the latter group expressing strong support for the conflict in polls.

“It is ridiculous & offensive to argue that American Jews can’t oppose the war in Iran because Israelis support it,” Ilan Goldenberg, J Street’s senior vice president, wrote on X. “That’s a dangerous definition of ‘pro-Israel.’ It’s an AMERICAN war.”

Notably, the poll also showed broad support among American Jews for conditioning aid to Israel, with 44% saying that weapons sales must comply with U.S. law and 26% saying the U.S. should cut off aid entirely.

Broadly, polls show Americans are against escalating hostilities in Iran. In mid-March, a Data for Progress survey found 68% of all respondents opposed deploying ground troops to Iran; six out of ten respondents in an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll last week agreed that “U.S. military action against Iran has gone too far.”

A poll commissioned earlier this month by the Quincy Institute, which publishes Responsible Statecraft, found that 79% of Trump 2024 voters preferred the president declare victory and quickly end the conflict — suggesting growing frustration with the war, among the president’s voter base.