Public support for Israel collapses across Western Europe and US, new YouGov survey finds

Public support for Israel in Western Europe has plummeted to its lowest levels on record, a new YouGov poll has revealed, as the occupation state continues its genocidal war on Gaza. The findings indicate a major shift in public sentiment, with fewer than one in five respondents across six European countries expressing a favourable view of Israel. The trend is mirrored in the US, where attitudes towards Israel have also soured significantly.

According to the latest YouGov Eurotrack survey, conducted between 12 and 26 May in Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, Spain and Italy, public sympathy has shifted decisively towards Palestinians across Europe. In every country surveyed, more respondents said they sympathised with the Palestinian side than with Israel.

In the UK, 32 per cent said they sympathised more with Palestinians, compared to just 14 per cent with Israel. The same pattern was evident in France (24 per cent Palestine vs 18 per cent Israel), Germany (18 per cent vs 17 per cent), Denmark (28 per cent  vs 18 per cent), Spain (33 per cent vs 15 per cent), and Italy (31per cent vs 7 per cent). This marks a clear and consistent rejection of Israeli narratives in favour of Palestinian perspectives.

The survey also found minimal support for Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza. When asked whether Israel’s military response to the Hamas attacks of 7 October had been proportionate, only 6 per cent of Italians and 16 per cent of the French agreed. In the UK, the figure stood at just 12 per cent.

Negative views of Israel and Netanyahu increase worldwide: Poll

Across all six countries, larger proportions—between 29 per cent (Italy) and 40 per cent (Germany)—felt that while Israel was right to send troops, it had gone too far and caused excessive civilian casualties.

The data reflects growing outrage at Israel’s unrelenting bombardment of Gaza, which has killed over 54,000 Palestinians—many of them women and children—and wounded more than 120,000 since 7 October. The occupation state resumed its assault in mid-March after breaking a ceasefire, imposing a blockade that has precipitated a famine across the besieged territory.

The public’s capacity to understand the Palestinian viewpoint, even among those who may not fully agree, was notably high. In the UK, 51 per cent of respondents said they could understand the Palestinian perspective, compared with 40 per cent who said the same for Israel.

Opposition to Israel is also growing across the Atlantic. A Pew Research Centre poll in April found that more than half of Americans (53 per cent) now hold an unfavourable view of Israel, up from 42 per cent in March 2022. A separate survey by Data for Progress showed that 51 per cent of US voters oppose Israel’s plan to send more troops into Gaza, and the same number believe former President Donald Trump should demand a ceasefire.