Public Support for Israel in Western Europe Reaches Record Low Amid Ongoing Conflict
Latest polling reveals a significant decline in favorable opinions toward Israel across six Western European countries amidst escalating violence in Gaza and ongoing humanitarian concerns.
Public support for Israel in Western Europe has recently reached its lowest levels recorded by polling agency YouGov, with less than 20% of respondents in six surveyed countries expressing a favorable opinion of the nation.
As the Israeli military offensive in Gaza resumes, following a prior ceasefire that ended in mid-March, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated significantly, characterized by a blockade that has created famine-like conditions.
Since Israel commenced its military actions on October 7, 2023, in reaction to a Hamas attack that resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 250 hostages, over 54,000 casualties have been reported in Gaza.
The latest poll results indicate stark declines in net favorability ratings for Israel, with Germany recording -44, France -48, and Denmark -54. In Italy and Spain, the figures are -52 and -55, respectively, the lowest established since polling on the subject began in 2016. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, net favorability stands at -46, marginally higher than a previous low of -49 recorded late last year.
Overall, only between 13% and 21% of individuals from the surveyed countries held favorable views of Israel, contrasted with 63% to 70% expressing unfavorable opinions.
When asked whether Israel was justified in its military response, supporter figures dwindled, with only 6% in Italy and 16% in France agreeing that Israel’s actions were appropriate, a decline from earlier surveys conducted in October 2023. In the UK, agreement with similar sentiments was reported at 12%.
Conversely, between 29% in Italy and 40% in Germany indicated that while Israel was correct to respond militarily, it has overstepped its bounds, contributing to excessive civilian casualties; this was echoed by 38% of respondents in the UK. Only a minority, ranging from 12% in Germany to 24% in Italy (with the UK at 15%), expressed the view that Israel should not have launched an incursion into Gaza at all.
The survey also reported declining justification among respondents for Israel's military operations, with only about a quarter of those surveyed in France, Germany, and Denmark considering them to be warranted.
In Britain, this figure stood at 18%, while only 9% of respondents in Italy felt the operations were justified.
Public opinion regarding the Hamas attacks of October 2023 similarly remains low across the surveyed countries, with justification figures ranging from 5% to 9%.
However, there has been a slight increase in support for Hamas's actions in the UK and Italy.
Fewer respondents identified as sympathizers of Israel, with only 7% to 18% across the six nations stating they felt aligned with the Israeli side, a record low.
This contrasts with 18% to 33% who identified with the Palestinian side, indicating a rising trend since 2023.
Despite these sentiments, expectations for lasting peace in the Middle East remain bleak, with only 29% of respondents in France expressing optimism about achieving peace within the next decade, while approximately 15% of Danes shared this view.
Expectations for lasting peace have declined by between 4% and 10 percentage points in all surveyed nations since late 2023.
Further diverse polling across the globe echoes these sentiments.
In the United States, data indicate a notable shift towards more unfavorable opinions of Israel, with over half of US adults (53%) now expressing dissatisfaction with the nation's actions, an increase from 42% in March 2022. Additionally, a recent survey reported that 51% of voters opposed Israel's military plans in Gaza, while 51% believed that U.S. leadership should push for a ceasefire.
As the Israeli military offensive in Gaza resumes, following a prior ceasefire that ended in mid-March, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated significantly, characterized by a blockade that has created famine-like conditions.
Since Israel commenced its military actions on October 7, 2023, in reaction to a Hamas attack that resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 250 hostages, over 54,000 casualties have been reported in Gaza.
The latest poll results indicate stark declines in net favorability ratings for Israel, with Germany recording -44, France -48, and Denmark -54. In Italy and Spain, the figures are -52 and -55, respectively, the lowest established since polling on the subject began in 2016. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, net favorability stands at -46, marginally higher than a previous low of -49 recorded late last year.
Overall, only between 13% and 21% of individuals from the surveyed countries held favorable views of Israel, contrasted with 63% to 70% expressing unfavorable opinions.
When asked whether Israel was justified in its military response, supporter figures dwindled, with only 6% in Italy and 16% in France agreeing that Israel’s actions were appropriate, a decline from earlier surveys conducted in October 2023. In the UK, agreement with similar sentiments was reported at 12%.
Conversely, between 29% in Italy and 40% in Germany indicated that while Israel was correct to respond militarily, it has overstepped its bounds, contributing to excessive civilian casualties; this was echoed by 38% of respondents in the UK. Only a minority, ranging from 12% in Germany to 24% in Italy (with the UK at 15%), expressed the view that Israel should not have launched an incursion into Gaza at all.
The survey also reported declining justification among respondents for Israel's military operations, with only about a quarter of those surveyed in France, Germany, and Denmark considering them to be warranted.
In Britain, this figure stood at 18%, while only 9% of respondents in Italy felt the operations were justified.
Public opinion regarding the Hamas attacks of October 2023 similarly remains low across the surveyed countries, with justification figures ranging from 5% to 9%.
However, there has been a slight increase in support for Hamas's actions in the UK and Italy.
Fewer respondents identified as sympathizers of Israel, with only 7% to 18% across the six nations stating they felt aligned with the Israeli side, a record low.
This contrasts with 18% to 33% who identified with the Palestinian side, indicating a rising trend since 2023.
Despite these sentiments, expectations for lasting peace in the Middle East remain bleak, with only 29% of respondents in France expressing optimism about achieving peace within the next decade, while approximately 15% of Danes shared this view.
Expectations for lasting peace have declined by between 4% and 10 percentage points in all surveyed nations since late 2023.
Further diverse polling across the globe echoes these sentiments.
In the United States, data indicate a notable shift towards more unfavorable opinions of Israel, with over half of US adults (53%) now expressing dissatisfaction with the nation's actions, an increase from 42% in March 2022. Additionally, a recent survey reported that 51% of voters opposed Israel's military plans in Gaza, while 51% believed that U.S. leadership should push for a ceasefire.