Both Israeli leaders and the Israeli public – lulled by both President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden’s backing of Israel – are utterly unprepared for the generational tsunami taking place when it comes to American support for the Jewish state, Haaretz’s opinions editor Amir Tibon told the Haaretz Podcast

"Approximately 60 percent of Americans have a negative view of Israel, and the younger you go, the worse it gets – we're close to 80 percent," said Tibon, who previously served as Haaretz’s Washington and diplomatic correspondent. "Israelis are looking at the top line, which is what does Trump have to say about us? And they're ignoring the iceberg, which is hidden underneath the daily Trump noise, of negative views of the country." 

"We’re going to have a lot of problems once this older generation leaves the American political scene, and most Israelis don't understand it yet," he said. 

In his conversation with podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Tibon also addressed the topic engaging most Israelis: whether or not Israel will be pulled into the continuing military confrontation between Iran and the United States, either at the request of the U.S. president or in response to a potential strike by the Iranians. 

He also addressed Gaza, both as a journalist and as a Gaza border resident. If Trump’s plan for rebuilding Gaza remains stagnant, he said, the situation is a “ticking-time bomb” with the “continuation of war” being inevitable. Tibon, who survived the October 7 attack on Kibbutz Nahal Oz, as detailed in his book, said that the ghosts of that day are ever present in daily life.

"The memory is still there, and the fear is still there, and the trauma. And I think what is most lacking is a sense of optimism that we will have a better reality a year from today." 

Read more:

Americans Souring on Israel – but Not Warming to Palestinians, Pew Poll Finds

Haaretz Found Israel's U.S. Influence-op Accounts. No One Actually Follows Them

Half of Jewish Americans Don't Think Protesting Israel Is Antisemitic, Poll Finds

103 House Democrats Vote to Cut U.S. Aid to Israel in Landmark Symbolic Vote

The Constant Campaigner: Netanyahu Has Been Running for Reelection Since October 7

Both Israeli leaders and the Israeli public &ndash; lulled by both President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden&rsquo;s backing of Israel &ndash; are utterly unprepared for the generational tsunami taking place when it comes to American support for the Jewish state, Haaretz&rsquo;s opinions editor Amir Tibon told the Haaretz Podcast
"Approximately 60 percent of Americans have a negative view of Israel, and the younger you go, the worse it gets &ndash; we're close to 80 percent," said Tibon, who previously served as Haaretz&rsquo;s Washington and diplomatic correspondent. "Israelis are looking at the top line, which is what does Trump have to say about us? And they're ignoring the iceberg, which is hidden underneath the daily Trump noise, of negative views of the country."&nbsp;
"We&rsquo;re going to have a lot of problems once this older generation leaves the American political scene, and most Israelis don't understand it yet," he said.&nbsp;
In his conversation with podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Tibon also addressed the topic engaging most Israelis: whether or not Israel will be pulled into the continuing military confrontation between Iran and the United States, either at the request of the U.S. president or in response to a potential strike by the Iranians.&nbsp;
He also addressed Gaza, both as a journalist and as a Gaza border resident. If Trump&rsquo;s plan for rebuilding Gaza remains stagnant, he said, the situation is a &ldquo;ticking-time bomb&rdquo; with the &ldquo;continuation of war&rdquo; being inevitable.&nbsp;Tibon, who survived the October 7 attack on Kibbutz Nahal Oz, as detailed in his book, said that the ghosts of that day are ever present in daily life.
"The memory is still there, and the fear is still there, and the trauma. And I think what is most lacking is a sense of optimism that we will have a better reality a year from today."&nbsp;
Read more:
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2026-07-09/ty-article/.premium/americans-souring-on-israel-but-not-warming-to-palestinians-poll-finds/0000019f-47d9-d6c0-a9df-dfdf3ba10000">Americans Souring on Israel &ndash; but Not Warming to Palestinians, Pew Poll Finds</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/security-aviation/2026-07-22/ty-article-magazine/.premium/we-found-israels-u-s-influence-op-accounts-no-one-actually-follows-them/0000019f-8939-d001-abbf-fd7f46fe0000">Haaretz Found Israel's U.S. Influence-op Accounts. No One Actually Follows Them</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2026-07-10/ty-article/.premium/poll-half-of-jewish-americans-dont-think-protesting-israel-is-antisemitic/0000019f-4c2c-d38b-afbf-5f3ebc430000">Half of Jewish Americans Don't Think Protesting Israel Is Antisemitic, Poll Finds</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2026-07-15/ty-article/.premium/103-house-democrats-vote-to-cut-u-s-aid-to-israel-in-landmark-symbolic-vote/0000019f-6725-d0b9-ab9f-777d03090000">103 House Democrats Vote to Cut U.S. Aid to Israel in Landmark Symbolic Vote</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-07-21/ty-article-magazine/.premium/the-constant-campaigner-netanyahu-has-been-running-for-reelection-since-oct-7/0000019f-8462-d6fb-abff-8c77ec230000">The Constant Campaigner:&nbsp;Netanyahu Has Been Running for Reelection Since October 7</a>

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

Your audio guide to Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.

Haaretz Podcast

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer. 

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.