78% of Britons View Occupation as a Threat to Global Peace
Poll shows rising negative British perceptions of Israel and the US as threats to peace.
Translated by Qiyas from الوسط — Original source
A new survey by the UK’s National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) revealed that 78% of Britons view Israel as a serious threat to global peace, compared to 48% two decades ago, marking a significant shift in British public opinion. The results, published by the center last week, showed that the proportion of Britons seeing Israel as a threat to global peace rose by approximately 10 percentage points within a single year, surpassing North Korea in this category during the same period.
Sharp Rise in Negative Perceptions of Israel
The center stated that Israel’s image “appears to have been damaged” due to its involvement in recent conflicts in the Middle East. It noted that less than half of Britons considered Israel a serious threat to global peace two decades ago, before the figure climbed to around three-quarters of respondents by autumn 2024, following the war on Gaza. The percentage later dropped to about two-thirds, before rising again to 78% in the latest survey, after the bombing campaign against Iran. The center suggested that these results may reflect not only Britons’ assessment of Israel’s own actions, but also concerns that developments linked to it could lead to a broader regional confrontation and geopolitical instability in the Middle East.
The US Also Among Top Threats
The survey showed that 74% of Britons consider the United States a serious threat to global peace, compared to just 35% in 2024, meaning the proportion doubled over two years. The center pointed out that the US and Israel present a more complex case in the eyes of British public opinion, as they are traditional allies of Britain, while pursuing foreign policies that a segment of the public views as carrying increasing risks.
Political and Generational Divides
The results revealed differences in attitudes based on political affiliation, with supporters of the Conservative and Reform parties being less likely than supporters of Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Green Party to view Israel as a serious threat to global peace. The findings also showed that younger Britons are more likely than older generations to view both Israel and the United States as threats to global peace, indicating a generational shift in perceptions of Britain’s traditional allies.
