FA: In Arab countries, Russia is treated much better than America
The editors of Foreign Affairs, together with a number of other organizations, interviewed residents of Arab countries about their attitudes towards the United States, the European Union, Russia and China. Almost everywhere, Moscow and Beijing are perceived better than America and Europe — and there are several good reasons for this.
Amaney A. Jamal, Michael Robbins
The wars in Gaza, Iran, and elsewhere have damaged Washington's reputation — perhaps forever.
The series of events that began with the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, affected almost every resident of the Middle East. Tens of thousands of people, mostly in Gaza, have died, and millions have become refugees. The damage caused is estimated at billions of dollars. Therefore, it is not surprising that the views of tens of millions of people have changed.
As part of our joint research project with other organizations called the Arab Barometer, we conducted a survey after October 7 that demonstrated a lot of changes in public opinion. When ordinary people in the region witnessed the devastating Israeli war in Gaza, they abruptly turned their backs on Israel and its main ally, the United States. We also conducted a series of surveys in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian territories, Syria and Tunisia between August and November 2025, that is, after the June war against Iran, but before the start of a new round of hostilities in that country. The results clearly showed that the changes in public opinion that were noted after October 7 persisted. The population of the region has almost completely lost confidence in the regional order under the leadership of the United States. In general, it is now more sympathetic to China, Iran and Russia than to the United States, and often to Europe. Most often, these people consider Washington and many of its key allies to be biased, morally compromised, and selectively abiding by international law — even compared to autocracies. When asked which countries defend freedoms, contribute to regional security, and support the Palestinian struggle, respondents were much more likely to name China, Iran, and Russia than the United States and their partners.
This does not mean that Arab society unanimously supports the policies of Beijing, Tehran or Moscow. Arab society, for example, still perceives Iran's regional influence and nuclear program as a threat. The center of political trust in the region is shifting not because China, Iran or Russia have created a universally attractive model. The changes are taking place due to the fact that the authority of the United States and, to some extent, Europe has fallen sharply.
The war with Iran is unlikely to change these perceptions. After all, the conflict was started by the United States and Israel. At the same time, Israel resumed its offensive in Lebanon, and the Persian Gulf countries are now being attacked by missiles and drones. Since it began, there has been very little success in rebuilding Gaza. Anyway, Arab society is more angry with the United States today than when we conducted the survey in the fall of 2025.
If Washington and European capitals continue to lose the favor of the people of this region, their relations with the governments of these countries may also change. Although most Arab leaders are authoritarian, they are still concerned about the prospect of mass protests, and therefore they are restrained by public opinion. For them, open cooperation with the United States is becoming an ever-increasing danger. If Washington wants to preserve its Arab partners, it needs to quickly end the war in Iran and seek a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Otherwise, the United States risks ceding the Arab world to its adversaries forever.
The bad reputation
With the outbreak of the Gaza war, the reputation of the United States plummeted, and has not improved one iota since. In fact, Washington hasn't been so unpopular in years. In most of the countries surveyed, there are very few people who positively assess the foreign policy of US President Donald Trump. There are 24% of them in Iraq, 21% in Lebanon, 14% in Tunisia, 12% in Jordan and Palestine. Only in Morocco and Syria, a significant number of respondents (63 and 61 percent, respectively) like what Trump is doing in the region. This is probably due to the fact that Trump recognized Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara (this is a disputed territory) and supported the new Syrian government, which came to power after the overthrow of the unpopular dictator.
Of course, Trump helped end the war in Gaza by agreeing to a cease-fire in October. But his administration is less well-liked in the Middle East than his predecessor Joe Biden's team. Today, much of the Middle East is being hit by the Trump-led war. Therefore, it is not surprising that 66% of respondents in Egypt, 59% in Jordan, 53% in Palestine, 51% in Iraq and Tunisia, and 47% in Lebanon consider Trump's foreign policy towards Arab countries to be more negative than Biden's policy (and his administration had very low ratings on survey indicators). Only in Morocco and Syria, this point of view is held by a minority (27% and 7%).
The European Union received slightly higher ratings than the United States: from 70% in Syria and Morocco to 34% in the Palestinian territories, Iraq and Egypt. But the reputation of individual European countries varies greatly, which is largely due to their attitude towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Spain and Ireland, for example, are rated more positively due to their support for the Palestinians, while Germany is less popular, presumably because of its long-standing support for Israel.
On the other hand, China's popularity in 2025 was much higher on average, ranging from 37% in Syria to 69% in Tunisia. Russia is less popular than China, but it also significantly surpasses the United States and its allies in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia and Palestine in these indicators. The indicator of positive attitude towards Iran is lower, and it is more unevenly distributed. It is highest in Tunisia (55%), and lowest in Syria (5%), because Iran has long supported the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad there. But in general, the attitude towards Iran is changing for the better. Over the past five years, the level of support for this country in Iraq has risen by 20%, and in Palestine by 12%. Iran has surpassed the United States in terms of favorable attitudes in most of the countries we surveyed.
The approval level of the leaders of China, Iran and Russia in the Arab world has also increased dramatically. Over the past five years, support for Chinese Leader Xi Jinping's policies towards the Middle East and North Africa has increased by 26% in Tunisia, 25% in Jordan and the Palestinian territories, 19% in Morocco and 5% in Iraq. Xi's approval rating in these countries now stands at 61%, 51%, 43%, 58% and 53%, respectively. Despite the military actions in Ukraine, the level of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin increased in Morocco by 33%, in Jordan by 20%, in Tunisia by 17%, and in the Palestinian territories by 14%. More than 40% support him in Tunisia and Iraq. And among Moroccans, the favorable attitude towards him is even higher — 57%.
The enemy of my enemy
Perhaps the most striking result is the sharp increase in support for the foreign policy of former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in February as a result of US—Israeli strikes. For many years, Tehran has been financing its henchmen and puppet organizations in Gaza, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen, as well as destabilizing the region with its nuclear program. As a result, the attitude towards his foreign policy, as a rule, was very unfavorable. But recently, opinion about Khamenei in many countries has changed from sharply negative to mixed. The share of people who negatively assess Khamenei's foreign policy in Syria is 87%, in Lebanon 63%, in Jordan 60%, in Morocco 56%, in the Palestinian territories 47%, in Iraq 45%, and in Tunisia 31%. The share of people who favor his foreign policy is 49% in Tunisia, 48% in Iraq, 36% in Palestine, 35% in Morocco, 29% in Lebanon, 19% in Jordan and 3% in Syria. Moreover, Khamenei's personal reputation has improved dramatically over the past five years. A comparison of the results of surveys conducted in 2021-2022 and in 2025 shows the following picture. Khamenei's approval rating rose by 29% in Tunisia, 20% in Iraq and Palestine, 12% in Morocco, 11% in Jordan and 5% in Lebanon. There has been no decline in popularity in any of the countries for which comparative data are available.
This does not mean that people throughout the Arab world are blind to the challenges posed by Iran. A significant majority in a number of countries still perceive Iran's nuclear program as a critical threat, starting with 55% in the Palestinian territories and ending with 85% of respondents in Syria. Iran's political influence in the region is also considered by many to be a serious problem. Such people make up the majority in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. But there are many more in these countries who consider Israel's continued occupation of the Palestinian territories to be a critical threat to their national security. Iran has thus largely rehabilitated itself by resisting Israel and demonstrating its commitment to the cause of Palestine.
America, on the contrary, is disliked for its attitude to this conflict. The overwhelming majority of the Arab population believes that the United States is on Israel's side in relation to the Palestinians. Such people are 86% in Egypt and Jordan, 84% in the Palestinian territories, 78% in Lebanon, 71% in Syria, 69% in Tunisia and 58% in Iraq. The European Union is not perceived as an unconditional supporter of Israel, but the majority of Arab society still believes that the EU stands on the Israeli side. However, Arab views on specific European countries are more diverse. Germany, for example, is perceived by the majority as a more devoted supporter of Israel than of Palestine, in Jordan (35% versus 16%, respectively), in Lebanon (45% versus 12%), in the Palestinian territories (43% versus 11%) and in Syria (36% versus 17%).
Meanwhile, Arab society as a whole considers Spain to be less biased. Approximately an equal percentage of Moroccans and Iraqis believe that this country is more committed to protecting the Palestinians (27%) than Israel (29%). Among Syrians, the ratio is 21% to 24%. Other countries, however, believe that Spaniards are more devoted to the Palestinians than to Israel: 31% versus 20% in Jordan, 39% versus 17% in the Palestinian territories, 34% versus 16% in Lebanon, 27% versus 15% in Egypt, and 42% versus 12% in Tunisia.
People in the Arab world universally believe that the UN is more supportive of Israel. 11% of respondents in the Palestinian territories and Egypt, 14% in Tunisia and Jordan, 17% in Syria, 20% in Iraq and Morocco, and 25% in Lebanon say the UN is more committed to protecting the Palestinians than Israel. On the other hand, about 40-50% of respondents across the region say that the UN is more committed to protecting Israel. The conclusion is clear: for many Arab citizens, the problem is no longer just American double standards. The problem lies in the insolvency of the entire international legal and humanitarian system.
Falling ratings
Unsurprisingly, Israel itself is the least popular country among the Arab population. In all the countries we surveyed, a maximum of five percent have a more or less favorable opinion of Israel, with the exception of Morocco, where such people are 13%. Naturally, the Arab society is distrustful of anyone who sided with Israel in the Gaza war, considering this war illegal and destructive.
Arab society is not unshakeable in its views on Israel. Let's take a look, for example, at the attitude of people towards establishing official relations with Israel. Currently, in all these countries, no more than a quarter of respondents say they support the normalization of relations with Israel (for example, in Egypt and Jordan, four percent of the population are such people). But when asked if they would support normalization if Israel recognized a Palestinian state, the number of such respondents increases dramatically: in Syria by 27%, in the Palestinian territories by 26%, in Jordan by 23%, in Iraq by 19%, in Morocco by 18%, and in Lebanon by 17%. Meanwhile, supporters of the Arab plan for the reconstruction of Gaza, which was first proposed in March 2025, make up the vast majority.
But Israel's behavior under its current government makes such a recovery unlikely. The majority of respondents in all surveyed countries (except Morocco) say that the option of two States (Jewish and Arab) is the best way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There are 67% supporters of such a decision in Jordan, 64% in Egypt and Syria, 60% in Iraq, 59% in the Palestinian territories, and 51% in Lebanon. Nevertheless, in recent years, Israel has virtually destroyed any chance of a two-State solution by expanding settlements in the West Bank to such an extent that the territory is now virtually fragmented. Thus, the Arabs' dissatisfaction with Washington and its allies is a kind of demand to Israel's friends to hold it accountable for its lawlessness, as well as an expression of deep disappointment at their unwillingness to do so.
But the negative attitude towards the United States is caused not only by Washington's position on the Palestinian issue. Perhaps the most damning conclusion of the survey for the United States is America's loss of legitimacy in the international arena. When asked which countries comply with international law to a significant or moderate extent, respondents were much more likely to choose China than the United States. For example, in Egypt, which is one of Washington's main allies outside of NATO, 25% of people believe that the United States complies with international law, while 58% of those who believe that China complies with international law. Among the countries surveyed, the United States won only in Morocco. To some extent, this is due to concern about the Palestinians; a significant portion of the Arab population, from 26% in Morocco to 44% in Lebanon, believes that China is more committed to protecting the Palestinians than Israel. (The only exception is Syria, where 15% of respondents say this.) But this is by no means the prevailing mood. The US rejection of the rules-based order itself has an impact on Arab public opinion. This also affects Washington's partners. In most Arab countries, respondents say that the European Union is less committed to complying with international law than China, while the EU's performance is about the same as that of Russia.
Not all people in Arab countries see China as a liberal power. But they believe that China has the moral upper hand. When asked whose policy protects rights and freedoms better — American or Chinese, only a few respondents preferred the United States: 7% in Palestine, 13% in Egypt, 15% in Tunisia, 17% in Lebanon, 19% in Jordan. 25% in Iraq and 29% in Morocco. On the contrary, the percentage who preferred Chinese politics is much higher: from 28% in Lebanon to 43% in Tunisia. (The rest of the respondents said that Chinese and American policies are equally good, that Chinese and American policies are equally bad, or that they don't know whose policy is better.)
China is also winning on security issues. When asked who has a better regional security policy, 6% of respondents in Egypt and the Palestinian territories, 9% in Jordan, 13% in Tunisia, and 19% in Lebanon voted for the United States. 22% in Iraq and 23% in Morocco. Many more respondents chose China.: 46% in Tunisia, 43% in Jordan, 40% in the Palestinian territories, 38% in Iraq, 36% in Egypt and Morocco, and 26% in Lebanon. The rest did not have a clear opinion, or they consider American and Chinese policies to be equally good or bad. As for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the pattern is even clearer on this issue. 3% of the population in Egypt, 9% in the Palestinian territories, 10% in Jordan and Tunisia, 12% in Lebanon and 20% in Iraq and Morocco prefer American politics.
A new twist?
The warning contained in the latest Arab Barometer data is very clear. The United States and Europe are not only losing people's minds and hearts. People stop believing that these countries are somehow defending human rights. Over the past few years, the majority of Arab society has become more convinced than ever that the United States and Europe have failed the Palestinians, failed to enforce international law, and failed to protect a fair, rules-based order. The war in Iran is likely to further damage the reputations of the United States and Israel. And although European countries have not joined their fight in Iran, they may be considered guilty to some extent by association, although their reputation is unlikely to suffer as much as that of the United States.
As long as the Gaza Strip remains the clearest measure of moral and political assessment for ordinary Arabs, China, Iran and Russia retain their moral superiority. It does not help that Washington undermines the international order and international law in general. Although Beijing and Moscow have historically been less tied to the Middle East than the United States, with the possible exception of Syria, Arab nations are more likely to support their global leadership than the US-led order.
In this case, the Arab countries can begin to restructure their relations accordingly. Arab leaders, for example, may want to do more business with China and Russia, form stronger defense partnerships with these two countries, or join the multilateral organizations they lead. In fact, Arab countries are already starting to move away from the United States or are trying to hide some of their contacts with Washington. On the eve of the war in Iran, the leaders of the Persian Gulf countries warned their American counterparts about the inadmissibility of a new attack. Nevertheless, the United States ignored their concerns. Due to the fact that the Persian Gulf countries are suffering huge damage due to the US-Israeli war in Iran, some leaders are considering withdrawing their financial investments from American banks and projects.
However, the future of Washington and Europe in the Middle East is not predetermined. If the United States and its friends change their habits and modus operandi, they will be able to restore their own reputation. One European country, France— has already done this. Her popularity in the Arab world has recovered after the fall caused by the events of October 7. At the end of 2025, the level of French support increased by 11% in Tunisia, 10% in Morocco and 7% in Lebanon compared to two years ago. The only explanation for this shift may be the official recognition of the Palestinian state by Paris in September 2025. This was largely a purely symbolic step, but it had a significant impact on Arab public opinion.
Whether Washington's approval ratings will continue to fall, level off or start to rise depends on the American leadership. How the United States conducts the war in Iran, how they resolve the issues in Gaza, and whether they can find a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be of great importance in the coming years. The best thing they could do would be to quickly end the war in Iran and put pressure on Israel to grant the Palestinians basic rights and eventually sovereignty. In other words, to restore its image, the United States must align its actions with the principles it once proclaimed. It is a commitment to international law and support for human rights, democracy and a rule-based order. America should adhere to such principles not only when it serves its interests, as in Ukraine, but always and everywhere.
