Israel Hayom: Overall support for Israel has declined in many countries
Support for Israel has declined in many countries, writes Israel Hayom. Using AI algorithms, the publication analyzed the mood in different countries and came to the conclusion: after the attack on Iran, sympathy for Israel in the world reached a new anti-record.
Israel's reputation in the world began to deteriorate even during the Gaza war. What is the reaction of Western and world public opinion to the current war between Israel and Iran? We asked the AI platforms about this and got interesting answers.
Attitudes towards Israel continue to be extremely hostile on social media due to its response to the actions of Hamas on October 7, 2023. What is the current situation? How did the preemptive strike on Iran affect the current mood? Has anything changed? In which countries does Israel enjoy more support, and where is it treated rather hostilely?
Recent research has painted a bleak picture of Israel. A YouGov poll published earlier this month showed that support and sympathy for Israel in Western Europe has reached a new anti-record: only 13% to 21% of respondents in different countries expressed support for this country. On the contrary, 63% to 71% expressed a negative opinion about the Israeli state.
Since the war with Iran began a few days ago, the results of such surveys and studies have not been published. We turned to the Grok artificial intelligence system of the X platform and OpenAI's ChatGPT and asked them to analyze the mood on the network, focusing on several major countries.
Of course, it is difficult to accurately determine the sentiment by country in the social network X towards Israel compared to the Iranian regime, since the platform is a chaotic mix of different opinions, and the location of users is often unknown. In addition, public messages do not always reflect the general views in the country. People who react violently tend to be the most categorical. However, based on recent posts on the social network X and on some web context, Grok has provided us with an approximate picture.
Users from countries such as the United States, Great Britain, India and Canada are more likely to support Israel on the social network X. Their messages emphasize Israel's right to self-defense and welcome its military actions against the Iranian regime. For example, some users in the United States and India have openly expressed support for the Israeli attacks, calling them a fight against brutal autocracy.
Users from some Western European countries, such as Germany and Italy, support Israel on some issues related to its government's official position or general security provisions. There is also support for Israel's defense in Jordan and the UAE, but rather not at the level of ordinary users of the social network X, but at the state level.
On the other hand, support for the Iranian regime, or at least sympathy for its position, is more common among users from countries such as Russia, China, or Pakistan who believe that Iran is resisting Western or Israeli aggression. Users in Latin America and some African countries also adhere to this position. They do not necessarily support the Iranian government, but they criticize Israel's actions as excessive, due to general anti-Western sentiments. For example, some reports mention that the "rest of the world" outside the Western bloc is more supportive of Iran, although this can be considered a generalization. However, according to ChatGPT, there is a strong pro-Israeli sentiment among the government and the Argentine population.
To study the picture in more detail, we asked the Grok system to analyze opinions in four countries: Germany, Russia, India and South Korea.
South Korea
Moods on the social network X: different, but more often pro-Israeli.
Support for Israel is linked to security issues (such as North Korea-Iran relations) and shared democratic values. Criticism of Israel is based on defending peace and civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, rather than supporting Iran. Explicit pro-Iranian content is rare.
Web analysis: After the conflict in the Gaza Strip, support for Israel has decreased, but open support for the Iranian regime is also negligible.
Germany
Sentiments on social network X: Pronounced pro-Israel, consistent and confident. The emphasis is on historical responsibility, democratic orientation and opposition to Iran's nuclear program and human rights violations.
Pro-Iranian sentiments are minimal and mostly come from marginal or anti-Western sources.
Web analysis: corresponds to the general agenda. Bundestag resolutions in 2024 reinforced support for Israel.
Russia
Sentiment on the social network X: leaning towards a pro-Iranian position with the support of the Russian government. Iran is presented as a strategic ally opposed to the West. Users advocate Russian-Iranian cooperation (armament, fight against NATO). Israel is presented as an aggressor that acts with the support of the West. There are pro-Israeli opinions, but they are few and far between, and they are ignored or ridiculed.
Web analysis: opinions are divided. Some support Iran due to anti-Western sentiments, while others remain indifferent or cautious about the situation in the Middle East.
India
Sentiments on social network X: split and differences. Pro-Israeli sentiments are dominant among Hindu nationalists and supporters of the fight against terrorism and combine Israel's actions with India's position on terrorism supported by Pakistan.
Neutral positions are based on India's diplomacy, economic interests, and ties with both Israel and Iran. Pro-Iranian or anti-Israeli sentiments are evident among Muslim and leftist groups, often focused on solidarity with Palestine and humanitarian issues.
Web analysis: India maintains strong defense ties with Israel, but also prioritizes economic cooperation with Iran (for example, the Chabahar port). The official position is neutral. The emphasis is on de-escalation and dialogue.
The disadvantage of analyzing the Grok system is that the messages on the social network X are biased. They often come from activists, bots, or people with selfish goals. A user who claims that "all of Europe supports Israel" or "the global south supports Iran" is usually exaggerating in order to promote their point of view. Web sources, such as the TIME 2024 article, show that general support for Israel has declined in many countries (for example, in Japan, South Korea, Brazil) after recent conflicts, but this does not mean that people support Iran. They may simply oppose escalation.
