AMERICAN JEWS EXPECT TO DISCUSS IRAN WAR, ANTISEMITISM AT PASSOVER SEDER TABLES, AMONG FOUR NEW QUESTIONS, POLL SAYS

March 30, 2026


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AMERICAN JEWS EXPECT TO DISCUSS IRAN WAR, ANTISEMITISM AT PASSOVER SEDER TABLES, AMONG FOUR NEW QUESTIONS, POLL SAYS


Majority Oppose the War, One-Third Support It, Some Feel Torn


Nearly 3/4 Say Trump Needed Congress’ Approval


Washington, DC – A new survey of American Jewish opinion, on the eve of the Passover holiday, shows the majority of American Jews expect the Iran war to be a topic at Seder this week. One-third of Jewish voters approve of the war, with a majority disapproving, and some feeling torn. Nearly three-quarters feel President Trump should have sought Congressional approval beforehand. There are also concerns about the long-term impact of the U.S. and Israel conducting this as a joint operation.

 

The poll of 800 registered American Jewish voters nationally, 88% of whom say they will almost certainly or very likely vote in the November 2026 general election for Congress, were surveyed online by the Mellman Group from March 13th-23rd for the Jewish Electorate Institute (JEI), a nonprofit which enjoys an extensive record of survey research of the American Jewish community.

 

Those polled indicated the war with Iran and antisemitism in America are the two topics most likely to come up at Seder or other Passover gatherings this week, with hate crimes in the U.S. and the topic of Gaza and the Palestinians trailing behind.

 

Most Expect the War, Antisemitism to Be Topics at Seder

 

Asked how likely these “four questions” were to come up at Seder this week, a 60% majority said the war was very likely to be discussed, including 31% saying it was almost certain to come up. This majority extended across party, age, Jewish denomination, and strength of Jewish identification.

 

A slightly smaller 56% majority feels it is very likely that antisemitism in the U.S. will also be such a frequent topic of Passover discussion this year, while hate crimes in the U.S. (at 43%) and the issue of Gaza and the Palestinians (at 40%) lag among the four questions.

 

The survey was conducted using a high-quality online national panel from March 13th-23rd, 2026. The margin of error for the sample as a whole is +/-3.5% at the 95% level of confidence (higher for subgroups). It was part of a larger poll, the results of which JEI will be releasing in the coming weeks.

 

A Majority Disapproves of Military Action Against Iran, with Some Torn

 

A 55% majority disapproves of the U.S. action against Iran, compared to 32% who approve. Feelings are intense, with nearly 49% disapproving strongly, and 26% approving strongly. There is a clear partisan divide, with 74% of Jewish Democrats disapproving and 83% of Republicans approving. There is also a split by denomination – with 83% of Orthodox approving, while a plurality of Conservative movement Jews disapproves (48%) and majority disapproval among Reform (67%) and self-described non-denominational (56%) Jews.

 

Jewish men are more supportive of the war than women. Women disapprove by a more than 2:1 majority (26% approve, 59% disapprove), while it is a closer split among men (40% approve, 49% disapprove). Given three choices, nearly one-third (31%) say they “support the war because we cannot allow a nuclear equipped Iran.” On the other end of the spectrum, 41% say they are “opposed because we should not go to war without clear provocation and clear objectives.” And nearly one-in-four American Jews (23%) say that they are “torn because while Iran is a threat to peace, this is not the way to handle it”.

 

Among Jewish Democrats, 28% feel torn. Among all those who disapprove of the war, 24% said they feel torn. And, among the 14% who weren’t sure on the initial approval/disapproval question, over half of them (53%) say they feel torn.

 

A Larger 3:1 Majority Believe Trump Should Have Sought Congressional Approval

 

Nearly three-quarters (73%) say President Trump should have sought Congressional approval before launching military strikes on Iran, compared to only 22% who believe he was right to act without Congress. And even among those supporting the war, 29% believe Trump should have gone to Congress, including 22% of Republicans and 30% of the Orthodox.

 

A Majority is Worried that Conducting the War Jointly with Israel Could be a Long-Term Problem Prompting Concerns About the Role of Jews in U.S. Foreign Policy

 

Nearly one-third (32%) believes joint operations are a “good thing because it will be a more effective operation and more likely to accomplish shared goals.” But 54% believe that joint operations are “bad because it will be a long-term problem prompting concerns about the role of Israel and American Jews in U.S. foreign policy.” This concern is highest among Democrats (70%) and those against the war (83%).

 

Supporters of the war are also more positive about joint operations, with overwhelming

majorities seeing it as good (81%) rather than bad (12%). But there is still some concern even among Republican Jews (79% good, 15% bad) and Orthodox Jews (74% good, 21% bad).

 

As noted near the top here, this is the first release from this new poll. More to come soon.

 

Named “Pollster of the Year” three times by the American Association of Political Consultants, The Mellman Group has provided sophisticated opinion research and strategic advice to political leaders, public interest organizations, Fortune 500 companies, and government agencies for over 30 years. All told, The Mellman Group has helped win over fifty senate and gubernatorial races, and nearly one hundred House race contests.


Mellman Executive Vice President Michael Bloomfield observed, “These results are a reminder that American Jews are not monolithic. There can be difference, and in this case strongly held on both sides, with a middle group torn between mixed feelings. In today’s political environment, partisanship is a very strong driver of views. That is true across the country across demographics, including American Jews.”


JEI is the foremost resource on Jewish voter political preferences, producing the top research, polling, and analysis critical to understanding the Jewish electorate. Chair Barbara Goldberg Goldman said, “American Jews are deeply concerned by the direction of our Country, the latest JEI poll says. The exponential and ongoing rise in violent antisemitism and hate crimes now occurring during an unpopular war is causing Jewish Americans to feel less safe. As we approach the 250th anniversary of American democracy, the Jewish electorate, while just 2-3% overall, is already highly engaged and will continue to punch above its weight. Their vote should not be ignored.”

See https://www.jewishelectorateinstitute.org/ for more.


For more media information, contact info@jewishelectorateinstitute.org at 202-695-0531.


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JEI LATEST MIDTERM POST-ELECTION POLL: THE MELLMAN GROUP SUMMARY MEMO

November 9, 2026
To: Jewish Electorate Institute From: The Mellman Group Re: The Jewish Vote Was Overwhelmingly Democratic, Though Down Slightly, As Concerns About Antisemitic Rhetoric In Both Parties Continues Date: November 8, 2026

JEI POST-ELECTION POLL: JEWISH VOTERS REMAIN STRONGLY DEMOCRATIC, BUT WARNING SIGNS EMERGE FOR BOTH PARTIES

November 9, 2026
CONTACT: Michael Bloomfield, Mellman Group Managing Director (202) 251-0793 Barbara Goldberg Goldman, JEI Chair, (202) 695-0531 69% of Jewish voters supported Democrats, even as concerns over antisemitism, political extremism and Israel expose growing tensions within both parties (This analysis is based on the findings of a national survey of 800 Jewish registered voters who voted in the November 2026 election. The survey was conducted using a high-quality online national panel from October 29–November 6, 2026. The margin of error for the sample is +/- 3.5% at the 95% level of confidence, higher for subgroups). JEI will host an open-to-the-press public briefing on Tuesday, November 10, at 11:00 a.m. ET, featuring the pollsters from The Mellman Group ** who conducted the poll. They will present the findings, explore their implications for both political parties, and answer questions. Register HERE for the briefing. The latest Jewish Electorate Institute (JEI)* post-midterm election poll results confirm that the Jewish electorate is one of the Democratic Party’s most loyal constituencies. However, this latest poll by the nine-year-old independent, nonpartisan JEI reveals a far more complex political landscape beneath that loyalty. It found that 69% of Jewish voters supported Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections, even as Israel, antisemitism, and the Jewish community itself became unusually prominent, and at times deeply troubling, campaign issues. Since 2024, Jewish Democratic voter support for Democratic candidates has declined, albeit modestly. It stands below the levels recorded during the Democratic wave in President Trump’s previous midterm election. The Mellman Group summary memo can be found HERE. The findings reveal significant concerns within both parties: ● Antisemitism crosses party lines. Among Jewish Republican voters, 25% believe the GOP is too accepting of antisemitic rhetoric, while 24% believe it is becoming too much of a home for white nationalists and the far right. ● Jewish Democrats are raising alarms as well. More than one-third (36%) believe their party is too accepting of antisemitic rhetoric, while 24% worry it is becoming too much of a home for socialists and the far left. ● Israel remains a point of tension. More than one-quarter (28%) of Jewish Democratic voters report supporting candidates whose positions on Israel concerned them, choosing those candidates because of other considerations. A LOYAL ELECTORATE, BUT NOT WITHOUT RESERVATIONS Michael Bloomfield, Managing Director of The Mellman Group says: “In this historic landslide, the Jewish vote was driven in great part by the national concerns that swept the country. Even as Israel, antisemitism, and the Jewish community itself became campaign issues, they were overwhelmed by the larger referendum on Trump and rising costs. But the underlying potential flash points have not gone away, and they will be key factors to consider as we move away from the midterms and into the complete reshaping of Congress and the presidential primaries.” Barbara Goldberg Goldman, Chair of JEI: “As we head into the 2028 election cycle, these findings are an important guide to the changing political landscape for the American Jewish community.” AMERICAN JEWS ALSO WEIGH IN ON ISRAEL’S POLITICAL FUTURE Former Israeli General Gadi Eisenkot remains relatively unfamiliar to American Jews, but those expressing an opinion view him favorably by more than two to one: 30% favorable compared with 12% unfavorable. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, continues to face substantial disapproval, with 63% of American Jews viewing him unfavorably. JEI’s September pre-midterm election poll conducted by The Mellman Group found that only 16% wanted Netanyahu to remain prime minister, compared with 60% who favored replacing him. To register for the NOVEMBER 10 ,11: 00 am open-to-the-press briefing : Register HERE . *ABOUT JEI The Jewish Electorate Institute (JEI) is an independent, nonpartisan, politically unaffiliated, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the active and informed participation of the Jewish community in the democratic process. ​​** The Mellman Group Named “ Pollster of the Year ” three times by the American Association of Political Consultants, The Mellman Group has provided sophisticated opinion research and strategic advice to political leaders, public interest organizations, Fortune 500 companies, and government agencies for over 30 years. All told, The Mellman Group has helped win over fifty Senate and gubernatorial races, and nearly one hundred House race contests.

JTA: ‘Politically homeless’ is the new mantra for American Jews. Will it change their vote?

November 1, 2026
That evidence includes a September survey by the Jewish Electorate Institute , conducted by the Democratic-aligned Mellman Group. It found that Jewish voters favored Democratic congressional candidates over Republicans by 71% to 23%. The Democratic advantage was virtually unchanged from their similar survey in March. Among Jewish Democrats, 97% said they would vote Democratic. At the same time, the survey found real unease within the party. More than a third of Jewish Democrats said the rise of anti-Israel candidates had made it harder for them personally to identify as Democrats. A majority of Jewish voters said antisemitism was increasing within the Democratic Party, and a similar share said it was increasing within the Republican Party.