Key facts
- Half of Britons believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, according to a YouGov poll.
- Nearly half of Britons (48%) support a ban on trade with Israeli settlements.
- A majority of Britons (55%) believe the UK should not be allied with Israel.
- Support for tougher measures against Israel, including an arms embargo and sanctions, is widespread among the British public.
- The poll reveals a significant gap between public opinion and the UK government's current policy on Israel.
A significant portion of the British public believes Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and supports stronger measures against the country, including a ban on trade with settlements, according to a new poll. The YouGov survey, commissioned by the Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), found that 50% of respondents believe Israel's military campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide, while 17% disagree.
Furthermore, 55% of those polled think the UK should not maintain its alliance with Israel, with only 15% in favor of the continued partnership. The poll, conducted between July 2 and 3 among 2,125 adults, also revealed broad support for various actions against Israel, including a ban on trade with settlements in occupied Palestinian territories (48% support), banning the sale or marketing of settlement properties in the UK (49% support), and a general trade embargo on Israel (45% support).
Support also extended to imposing tariffs and import restrictions against Israel (48%), sanctioning the financial assets of individuals linked to Israel (48%), and suspending UK arms exports to the country (57%). Chris Doyle, director of CAABU, noted that these findings highlight a growing divergence between British public opinion and the government's policy, which he described as falling "way behind the expectations of the British public."
The poll also indicated significant differences in opinion across political lines. A strong majority of Labour (67%), Liberal Democrat (66%), and Green Party (65%) voters believe Israel's actions in Gaza constitute genocide. Among Conservative voters, 33% agreed with this assessment, while 26% disagreed, suggesting the Conservative front bench may be out of step with some of its own party's supporters.