Veteran pro-Israel Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman issued a stark warning to Israel over the weekend, arguing that shifting American public opinion, continued settler violence, Israel's limited investment in its diplomatic apparatus, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's place in the cabinet are putting Israel's international standing and its relationship with the United States at risk.
"Every Israeli official and every Israeli voter should watch this clip, which should be translated into Hebrew," Sherman wrote alongside a CNN segment he shared.
"Yesterday I spoke with the Israeli ambassador. I don't think he, or most Israelis, understand what is at stake."
The CNN segment Sherman highlighted showed a dramatic shift in American attitudes toward Israel.
According to an analysis by CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten, Israel's average net favorability stood at plus 51 points in 2018, during US President Donald Trump's first term, compared with minus 16 points today - a 67-point shift over eight years.
The same analysis cited polling showing that 55% of Americans believe US military assistance to Israel should either be reduced or ended. CNN also presented four separate national surveys - from Ipsos, Fox News, Marquette University Law School, and Pew Research Center - in which Israel's net favorability was negative, ranging from minus 10 to minus 23.
Sherman warns of risks to US weapons access, diplomatic support
Sherman warned that, from Israel's perspective, the stakes in its relationship with Washington go far beyond the annual military assistance package.
"It's not just the traditional $3.8 billion of annual aid," he wrote. "It's access to American weapons and diplomatic support."
He argued that Israel has not done enough to respond to its deteriorating image abroad.
"Israel has been unwilling to take even a few steps to improve its image in the world. They don't fund their Foreign Ministry. Ben-Gvir in the cabinet is an existential threat. Israel cannot survive without friends in the world."
The comments are notable given Sherman's long record on Israel-related issues in Congress. The California Democrat has served in the House since 1997 and is currently a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the ranking Democrat on its Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee. His official congressional site has for years listed the US-Israel relationship among his core foreign-policy priorities.
Sherman has also worked on legislation and funding initiatives to strengthen US-Israel ties, including efforts related to Israel's admission to the US Visa Waiver Program and joint American-Israeli research programs.
Against that background, his message to Israelis was particularly pointed.
"The anti-Israel feelings found in large parts of the world and in many parts of the American political system may be unjustified," Sherman wrote.
"I hear from Israelis that their actions are justified, and because they are right, they don't have a problem. This demonstrates ignorance of Jewish history."
Sherman: 'Settler violence will continue' unless those in power 'genuinely oppose' it
Sherman devoted much of his warning to developments in the West Bank.
"Settler violence will continue until the relevant ministries are held by people who genuinely oppose settler violence," he wrote.
"The poll numbers CNN reports will only get worse as long as settler violence continues."
The polling Sherman circulated reflects a broader trend, not a single survey.
CNN's July analysis found negative net views of Israel across each of the four national polls it examined. Enten described the change as extending beyond the Democratic base to the broader American electorate.
Among Democrats, the shift has been even sharper.
A separate CNN analysis showed Israel's net favorability among Democratic voters falling from plus 35 points in 2018 to minus 51 points in 2026 - an 86-point swing over eight years.
Sherman's message was not a call to end the US-Israel relationship. Rather, it was a warning from a longtime congressional supporter of Israel that he believes Israeli leaders and voters are underestimating how substantially the political environment in the United States has changed - and how the consequences of further erosion in public support could extend well beyond the annual debate over US military assistance.