20% of American Gen-Zers share positive view of Osama Bin Laden - poll

Shocking J.L.L. Partners and DailyMail.com poll results were revealed on Wednesday, illustrating that one in five young Americans have a positive view of Osama Bin Laden, with a third of Gen-Zers thinking that the views of the 9/11 perpetrator are a “force for good.” 

Another DailyMail.com poll taken in October found that one in ten voters under the age of 30 had a positive view of Hamas, despite its attack on October 7 in the south of Israel that killed more than 1,300 men, women, and children, and took over 200 men, women and children hostage.

Bin Laden was the mastermind behind the 2001 hijackings that killed 2,977 people and injured thousands at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

He was also behind multiple attacks that have killed countless others around the world, as the leader of the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda. 

In this survey, a diverse array of 1000 people, of all races, ages, and education levels were asked questions regarding Osama Bin Laden. The first question was whether they had a favorable opinion of Osama Bin Laden. Among participants 18 to 29, 20% had at least a somewhat positive view of him. 

Among the participants between the ages of 18 and 29, 31% believed that at least Osama Bin Laden's views were good, while 8% said that his actions were also good. One-third of Black voters believed that at least Osama Bin Laden's views were good, while 7% believed his actions were also good. These groups were followed by Hispanic voters, 20% of whom believed at least his beliefs were good. 

Overall, 81% of American voters said they had negative views of him, while 8% viewed him positively.

Fourteen percent said the terrorist leader had some 'some good in terms of either his views, actions or both' while 70 percent said both his views and actions were bad.

After the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. was united in tracking down Bin Laden and the terrorists responsible. In 2011, shortly after he was killed, a poll of 22 countries found that 75% believed the United States was justified in taking him out. 

Stark change in attitudes towards Bin Laden among Gen Z

These poll results reveal a stark change in attitudes and follow worrying examples in recent months of younger Americans questioning Bin Laden's evil. 

In November, anti-Israel TikTok users shared Bin Laden's 2002 'Letter to America' with his justification for 9/11 across the platform, making the terrorist’s words go viral. Many believed the positive opinions of Bin Laden expressed in these TikTok videos were fringe, however, these polling numbers reveal that a considerable chunk of Gen Z does view Osama Bin Laden positively. 

Earlier this month, a poll by YouGov/The Economist found that 20% of individuals between 18 to 29 believe the Holocaust is a myth. Only 7% of the entire population believes the Holocaust is a myth. Of the same age group, 23% believe the Holocaust is exaggerated.