Netanyahu Admits Israel Has ‘Work to Do’ Winning Over Gen Z Amid Collapsing Youth Support in the West

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that Israel faces a growing challenge in appealing to younger generations in the West, particularly Gen Z, as support among youth continues to decline sharply over the country’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza.

Speaking on the UK-based Triggernometry podcast in an interview aired Wednesday, Netanyahu was asked whether Israel risked losing the support of Western governments as Gen Z — those born between approximately 1997 and 2012 — grows into political power.

“If you’re telling me that there’s work to be done on Gen Z and across the West, yes,” Netanyahu admitted.

His comments come as major protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza continue to sweep Western capitals, with a strong turnout from young people. According to a recent Gallup poll, just 6% of Americans aged 18–34 view Netanyahu favourably, and only 9% support Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Netanyahu suggested that the declining support among Gen Z was part of what he described as a broader campaign against the West, though he offered no evidence or specifics on who might be behind such a campaign.

“There’s an orchestrated campaign against Israel and against the West,” Netanyahu claimed, repeating an unproven assertion that has become a frequent talking point in his recent interviews.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military has intensified its operations in Gaza. On Wednesday, Israel’s defence minister approved a new plan to capture Gaza City and authorised the mobilisation of around 60,000 reservists, as mediators continue to push for a ceasefire deal.

The escalation comes in the wake of Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Since then, Israel’s retaliatory offensive has led to the deaths of at least 62,122 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza — figures the United Nations considers credible.

Despite international criticism, Netanyahu praised former U.S. President Donald Trump for his unwavering backing of Israel since returning to the White House in January.

“Trump has proven an exceptional, exceptional friend of Israel, an exceptional leader,” Netanyahu said, adding,
“I think we’ve been very fortunate to have a leader in the United States who doesn’t act like the European leaders, who doesn’t succumb to this stuff.”

Several European countries, including the UK and France, have in recent months moved toward recognising Palestinian statehood — a position Netanyahu sharply opposes.