Survey: Western Europe’s Support for Israel Plummets to Record Lows
(MENAFN) Public support for Israel has plummeted to unprecedented lows across Western Europe, with widespread criticism of its military actions in Gaza, according to the latest YouGov EuroTrack survey released Tuesday.
As Israel advances plans to control three-quarters of the Gaza Strip following a recent ceasefire breakdown, European sympathy appears to be rapidly eroding.
The survey, conducted across Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, exposes a dramatic downturn in public opinion. Net favorability ratings for Israel have sunk to their lowest point since the poll began tracking attitudes in 2016.
Germany (-44), France (-48), and Denmark (-54) all recorded record-low approval levels for Israel. Meanwhile, Italy (-52) and Spain (-55) matched or surpassed their previous lowest ratings dating back to 2021.
Across these six nations, only 13% to 21% of respondents hold a positive view of Israel, while a significant majority—between 63% and 70%—express unfavorable opinions.
Criticism of Israel’s military tactics in Gaza is overwhelming in Western Europe.
Between just 6% and 16% believe Israel’s ground troop deployment and overall response to Hamas attacks have been proportionate, marking a slight decline compared to similar polling in October 2023.
Support for justifying Israel’s actions ranges narrowly between 9% and 25%, with Italy showing the lowest level of approval.
Conversely, the original Hamas attacks from late 2023 receive scant justification, with only 5% to 9% across the surveyed countries considering those actions acceptable.
European sympathy is increasingly shifting toward Palestinians.
Between 18% and 33% of respondents say they feel more sympathy for Palestinians, compared to just 7% to 18% who side with Israelis. Germany remains the only country where public opinion is nearly evenly divided.
Meanwhile, hope for peace in the Middle East continues to wane.
Just 29% of French respondents believe peace is achievable within the next ten years—the highest optimism among the six nations—while only 15% of Danes share this hope.
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