Nournews: Three years after the Al-Aqsa Storm operation, what has been most visible to the world is not Tel Aviv’s propaganda narrative, but the scale of destruction, killings, displacement and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Over the past three years, Israel has turned Gaza into one of the clearest examples of human devastation in the modern era, while also extending its military operations to Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran.
Today, the anniversary of Al-Aqsa Storm comes as the gap between Tel Aviv’s official narrative and global public opinion has grown wider than ever. New data from the Pew Research Center shows that the issue is no longer simply a political dispute over Israeli policies; rather, a deeply negative image of Israel itself has taken shape across large parts of the world.
Gaza: Where the Atrocities Have Outpaced the Propaganda
The widespread destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure, the devastation of homes, schools, hospitals and vital facilities, the killing of women and children, and continued pressure on the civilian population have created an image that even Israel’s extensive propaganda apparatus has been unable to conceal.
Available official figures also show the scale of the catastrophe. Reuters reported on the third anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Storm that the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza had surpassed 74,000, according to Gaza health authorities. Meanwhile, the impact of destruction, displacement, hunger and the collapse of infrastructure goes far beyond the number of fatalities and cannot be fully measured in figures.
The conclusion is clear: Israel can no longer rely solely on media narratives to impose a different picture of the reality on the ground on global public opinion.
The Numbers That Are Shouting Tel Aviv’s Disgrace
In spring 2026, the Pew Research Center surveyed 44,657 people across 36 countries, providing an unprecedented picture of Israel’s standing. Overall, a median of 67 percent of people in these countries hold an unfavorable view of Israel, while only 25 percent have a favorable view.
The picture is even more striking in Europe: 78 percent of respondents in Sweden, 78 percent in Spain, 76 percent in the Netherlands, 75 percent in Italy and 73 percent in Germany hold unfavorable views of Israel.
In the UK, 69 percent hold an unfavorable view. The figure stands at 65 percent in Canada and 60 percent in the United States, Israel’s most important political and military backer. By contrast, only 37 percent of Americans have a favorable view of Israel.
Even in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, 85 percent hold an unfavorable view of Israel — a figure that highlights the deep divide between Palestinian society and the occupying structure. In Turkey, the figure stands at 97 percent.
These figures are no longer merely a warning; they represent a heavy bill that global public opinion has placed before Tel Aviv for years of violence, occupation, destruction and killing.
Netanyahu: A Figure Entangled in Legal and Global Crisis
The crisis is not limited to Israel’s image. Benjamin Netanyahu has also become one of the symbols of this decline in credibility. According to the Pew survey, 88 percent of respondents in Italy, 84 percent in Sweden, 83 percent in Germany, 75 percent in the UK, 72 percent in Canada and 59 percent in the United States said they had little or no confidence in Netanyahu to do the right thing regarding world affairs.
Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu on November 21, 2024. The warrant concerns allegations including the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution and other inhumane acts. Therefore, from a legal standpoint, Netanyahu should not be described as having been “convicted.” The undeniable fact, however, is that the Israeli prime minister is subject to an ICC arrest warrant and faces arrest in the jurisdictions of countries that are parties to the Rome Statute.
Three years after the Al-Aqsa Storm, Israel’s image in global public opinion has become deeply tarnished — an image that cannot easily be erased through propaganda, narrative-building or political pressure. When 67 percent of people across 36 countries hold an unfavorable view of Israel, and that figure reaches 78 percent in countries such as Sweden and Spain, this is no longer a temporary crisis. It points to a collapse in the international credibility of a regime whose record of war and destruction now stands before the judgment of global public opinion.
