TEHRAN – By perpetrating the most heinous crimes in Gaza, Israel has not only reaffirmed its status as the most detested entity on the global stage and plunged itself into even deeper isolation, but has also dragged the United States down with it—rendering Washington an object of worldwide loathing.

Ever since the founding of the illegitimate Israeli entity in 1948, the United States has remained its largest financial and military patron.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Israel had received more than $310 billion in aid (inflation-adjusted) by 2022, with roughly 71 percent directed toward military purposes.

This support reached its zenith during the war on Gaza. Washington's brazen backing of the regime—manifested above all in the shipment of advanced weaponry, massive military funding, and relentless political shielding—has branded the U.S. as a direct accomplice of a criminal regime.

It is precisely this partnership that has ignited global hatred toward American policy and dealt a severe blow to the United States' soft power across the world.

A 2025 Pew Research Center report reveals that 49 percent of respondents in 24 surveyed countries now hold an unfavorable view of the United States and its conduct on the global stage.

The same report documents a decline in America's favorability in 15 countries, confirming that world public opinion increasingly regards the U.S. as a primary engine of recurring humanitarian catastrophes and systematic human-rights violations.

This negative perception is especially stark in Europe and Latin America, gravely undermining Washington's diplomatic legitimacy.

The repercussions of complicity in crimes against the people of Gaza extend far beyond foreign shores.

Inside the United States itself, public sentiment toward supporting Israel has undergone a profound shift. A 2025 Gallup survey found that only 32 percent of American adults approve of Israel's military actions in Gaza, while 60 percent openly disapprove.

Opposition has surged among Democrats and independents; among Americans aged 18–29, more than half now reject military aid to Israel.

Attitudes toward Israel itself have also darkened dramatically under the impact of its crimes in Gaza—59 percent of American adults now harbor an unfavorable view.

In stark contrast, perceptions of the Palestinian people remain positive and are rising in certain demographics, with 52 percent of Americans expressing favorable views toward Palestinians.

These transformations lay bare a widening chasm between official U.S. foreign policy and domestic public opinion as civilian deaths mount and the humanitarian crisis deepens.

Ultimately, the regime's crimes in Gaza and America's unconditional support for them have not only inflicted an unspeakable humanitarian disaster and wholesale destruction, but have inflicted lasting damage on America's international credibility and soft power.

A drop in popularity across 15 countries combined with mounting domestic disapproval demonstrates that the United States can no longer sustain legitimacy through military might alone.

Without a fundamental reassessment of its foreign policy, restoring its former standing in the eyes of both the world and its own people will prove exceedingly difficult.

Source: Sedaye Iran, the online newspaper of the Institute of the Islamic Revolution of Iran — December 1, 2025