The bipartisan consensus in U.S. politics regarding support for Israel is shaking, heightening concerns within Israel that this shift could become entrenched, the Washington Post reported on August 6 local time.

This trend began to surface in major Democratic Senate primary elections this year in states such as New York, Colorado, and Michigan.

In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, a strong critic of U.S. military aid to Israel, won against Haley Stevens, who was backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

The Post analyzed that, although not to the same extent as in the Democratic Party, this shift is also spreading among Republican supporters.

In a poll conducted by the newspaper last month, a majority of Americans, including about three-quarters of Democrats, responded that military aid to Israel should be reduced or halted.

The wars in Gaza and Iran have further widened the rift between the two countries, and the proportion of Americans who believe the U.S. supports Israel excessively is also on the rise.

Commenting on the primary results in Michigan, Jesse Weinberg, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel, explained, "It reflects a broader trend that the younger generation in the U.S. is resolutely anti-Israel."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been boasting about his close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the general election in October, viewing the Republican Party as "permanent insurance," but the Post pointed out that this calculation is crumbling as Israel becomes an issue causing internal friction within the Republican Party.

Yair Lapid, the leader of the Israeli opposition and former prime minister, warned at a security event last month that "Israeli diplomacy has never hit such a low," expressing concern that the Netanyahu government is becoming isolated in the international community.

The Post reported that criticism is emerging that Prime Minister Netanyahu focused too heavily on his strong relationship with the Trump administration, thereby undermining the future of bilateral relations.

Yael Sternhell, an associate professor at Tel Aviv University, also claimed, "Today, hostility and anger toward Israel are among the few issues uniting the left and the right in American politics." She added, "U.S. politicians view Israel as a neighborhood bully and a troublemaker that destabilizes the Middle East and brings no benefit to the U.S."

Some analysis suggested that local media reports—which blinded the public by ignoring Israel's declining international standing amid repeated warfare—are also a cause of this phenomenon.

Criticizing the Israel Defense Forces, Associate Professor Sternhell noted, "The gap between how the Gaza war is reported from the perspective of the military and how the humanitarian disaster in Palestine is reported elsewhere in the world is very difficult to bridge."

She explained, "Because Israelis live in an environment isolated from information, they are shocked to find that even Trump and the Republican Party are beginning to feel fatigued by them."

The Post reported that some voices in Israel argue that because this U.S. "change of heart" is irreversible, fundamental changes must be made to their absolute dependence on the U.S.

This is particularly because U.S. policy toward Israel could change significantly if Vice President JD Vance, who views Israel as a "nuisance," were to become president.

Associate Professor Sternhell said, "The depth of hostility toward Israel among young supporters in the Democratic Party (as well as the Republican Party) cannot be overstated," adding, "To them, Israel is an 'evil empire,' and they are unlikely to soften even as they grow older."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)