Support for Israel in Europe drops to record low finds YouGov poll

Public support for Israel in European countries has fallen to its lowest recorded level, according to a recent survey by YouGov. 

Fewer than a fifth of respondents in six countries held a favourable view of Israel in a poll carried out last month. The survey was conducted between 12 and 26 May in Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, Spain and Italy. 

Asked which side they sympathised with in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 14 percent of Brits said they sided with Israel, while 32 percent sided with Palestinians. Twenty-one percent said both sides equally, and 32 percent were unsure. 

The proportion of people that sided with Israel was 18 percent in France, 17 percent in Germany, 18 percent in Denmark, 15 percent in Spain and just 7 percent in Italy. 

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All six countries sided with Palestinians more, though in Germany the difference was by just one percentage point. 

In five of the six countries, more respondents said they could understand the attitudes Palestinians had to the conflict - even if they didn’t personally agree with them - than those who said they could not. 

The difference was most stark in Britain, where 51 percent said they could understand the Palestinian viewpoint, whereas 22 percent said they could not. 

Asked the same question about Israel, more respondents in France, Germany, Spain and Italy said they could not understand the Israeli viewpoint than those who said they could. 

Net favourability towards Israel was at the lowest since YouGov began polling the question in Germany, France, Denmark, Italy and Spain. 

Respondents in all of the countries said they did not think Hamas’ attack on 7 October 2023 was justified. 

Similarly, respondents in all six overwhelmingly said Israel’s war on Gaza since October 2023 was unjustified. 

On a more specific question about Israeli actions, between just 6 (Italy) and 16 (France) percent across the countries agreed that Israel was right to send ground troops into Gaza, and that Israel generally responded in a proportionate way to Hamas’ attack. 

More people - between 29 (Italy) and 40 (Germany) percent - across the six countries thought Israel was right to send in troops but went too far and caused too many casualties. 

Between 12 (Germany) and 24 (Italy) percent thought that Israel should not have used military force in Gaza at all. 

Asked whether they thought a permanent peace agreement was likely in the next decade, respondents in every country were more likely to say it was unrealistic than realistic. 

Several of the European countries surveyed, including France, Spain, Italy and the UK, have halted the supply of some weapons to Israel since the war began. 

The UK and France, along with Canada, have threatened Israel with sanctions if it fails to stop its military operations in Gaza and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter.

France is also leading efforts to lobby other European countries, including the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands, to recognise Palestinian statehood at a UN conference in New York opening on 17 June. 

Some 147 of 193 UN member states currently recognise the State of Palestine. European states Spain, Ireland and Norway agreed to recognition last year.

Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed more than 54,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 120,000 since October 2023. A further 10,000 are missing and presumed dead.

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