TikTok Users Less Likely to Support Israel’s Existence, Poll Finds
New poll reveals TikTok users are less supportive of Israel’s continued existence compared to other voters.
3 min read
A new poll has revealed that TikTok users are significantly less likely to support Israel’s continued existence as an independent country compared to voters who rely on other news sources. According to a survey conducted by Cygnal, only 36% of TikTok users who named the platform as a primary news source support Israel’s existence, compared to 70% of other voters.
Divide in Opinions
The survey also found that a third of TikTok users, or 33%, oppose Israel’s existence, more than double the 14% of other voters who expressed the same view. Another 31% of TikTok users were unsure, compared with 16% of other voters.
Despite the divide, there is broad support for Israel’s right to defend its civilians against armed attacks, as long as it follows the laws of war. Eighty-five percent of voters said Israel has that right, while just 7% disagreed. Among TikTok users, support was lower at 65%, compared with 86% of other voters.
TikTok and U.S. Scrutiny
TikTok has faced years of scrutiny over concerns that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, could use the platform to influence American public opinion. After facing a potential U.S. ban, TikTok restructured its American operations in January under a majority American-owned joint venture overseeing data security, the recommendation algorithm, and content moderation. ByteDance retains a 19.9% stake, and whether the deal will change what Americans see on the platform remains to be seen.
Support Trends Across Demographics
The findings come amid questions about whether American support for Israel is waning and whether social media is shifting public opinion, particularly among younger voters. Voters who oppose Israel’s existence are also more likely to rely on websites and social media for news than those who support the Jewish state.
Among voters who strongly oppose Israel’s existence, 18% named TikTok as a primary news source, compared with just 4% of Israel supporters. The divide extended to other digital platforms: 26% of strong opponents cited YouTube, compared with 17% of Israel supporters, while 15% cited X, compared with 9% of supporters.
News websites were the most commonly cited source among strong opponents, at 45%, compared with 27% of Israel supporters. Meanwhile, Israel supporters were more likely to rely on cable news, at 42% versus 29% of strong opponents, and newspapers, at 12% versus 6%.
Age and Political Divide
The differences were particularly pronounced among voters under 45 who oppose Israel’s existence: 23% named TikTok as a primary news source, compared with 8% of voters overall, while 52% cited news media websites and 37% cited YouTube.
Nationally, 67% of likely voters said they support Israel continuing to exist as an independent country, while 16% opposed its existence and 17% were unsure. Opposition was concentrated among liberal voters, 31% of whom opposed Israel’s existence, compared with 6% of conservatives.
Among Democrats, 53% supported Israel’s continued existence, while 25% opposed it. By contrast, 89% of Republicans supported Israel’s existence, and just 3% opposed it. Independents were more divided, with 58% supporting Israel’s existence and 22% opposing it.
Age was another significant dividing line. Just 52% of voters under 45 supported Israel’s continued existence, compared with 74% of voters ages 45 and older. Opposition stood at 26% among voters under 45, more than twice the 11% recorded among older voters.
Source: Daily Wire
