(SeaPRwire) – By: Julian Holbrooke
The entire debate over Israel’s global isolation is a fake argument. Both sides get half the story right, and miss the bigger picture. The disagreement does not stem from missing facts. It stems from how we define diplomatic power in 2026. Critics lean on public opinion polls to prove isolation. Supporters point to closed-door government deals to prove expansion. Neither side wants to admit the global order is splitting clean in two over Israel’s position.
The public polling data tells one clear, unmistakeable story. A June 2026 Pew Research survey found 67% of adults across 36 countries view Israel unfavorably. Only 25% hold a favorable view of the country. In the United States, 60% of adults view Israel unfavorably. That number is up from 53% in 2025, and 42% in 2022. Gallup reported earlier this year that Israel no longer holds a lead in American sympathies. Forty-one percent of Americans sympathize more with Palestinians, 36% with Israelis. In 2023, that split was 54% to 31% in Israel’s favor. Even Reagan Institute polling shows overall US support dropped six points in a year. Only core conservative and MAGA Republican blocs retain strong majority support. Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel summed this up in a July speech at Tel Aviv University. He said Israel’s only major diplomatic win in three years is recognition from Somaliland.
The behind-the-scenes diplomatic record tells a completely different story. Donald Trump, who brokered the original 2020 Abraham Accords, says more countries will join soon. He has tied a US civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia directly to Riyadh joining the accords. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon rejects the isolation label entirely. He says Israel’s relationships have not weakened, they have evolved. He meets regularly with ambassadors from Arab countries at the UN to advance shared interests. Former White House national security official Richard Goldberg points to a global conservative realignment. Every time a South American government flips from left to right, the first move is closer ties to Israel. Argentina under President Javier Milei is pushing the new proposed Isaac Accords. Similar shifts are already underway in Chile, Colombia and Bolivia. Israel, Greece and Cyprus reaffirmed their expanded strategic partnership in December 2025. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan, nestled between Turkey and Iran, have moved closer to Israel for security. Danon goes as far as to say Israel is stronger geostrategically now than before October 7, 2023.
This split is not a temporary phase after the Gaza war. It is the new permanent shape of global geopolitics. Public opinion now moves independently of state-level strategic interests. The geopolitical pendulum has already locked into this divided new reality.
Author bio: Julian Holbrooke, an international relations analyst contributing regularly to leading European daily newspapers.