A new survey conducted by the YouGov polling institute across Western Europe reveals a sharp decline in public support for Israel since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
According to the findings, public sympathy for Israel has dropped to its lowest levels since 2016, with particularly stark figures reported in France, Germany, and Denmark. These countries recorded unprecedented lows in support for Israel since polling began. In Italy and Spain, support was the weakest since 2021. Only the UK showed a slight increase in support observed, compared to previous surveys conducted over the past year.
Across six European nations surveyed, just 13 to 21 percent of respondents expressed sympathy toward Israel. In contrast, between 63 and 70 percent voiced negative views or strong opposition to Israel’s actions.
Respondents were also asked whether they believed Israel acted justifiably in sending its military into Gaza and whether the response to Hamas’ attacks was proportionate. Only 6 to 16 percent answered affirmatively. Italy recorded the lowest rate of approval at 6 percent, while France registered the highest at 16 percent.
Meanwhile, 29 to 40 percent indicated an understanding of the military action but felt that Israel’s response was excessive and resulted in too many civilian casualties. Germany led this category with 40 percent, followed by the UK at 38 percent and Italy at 29 percent.
Additionally, a significant portion of respondents outright rejected the military campaign itself. Between 12 and 24 percent believed that Israel should not have initiated the war at all. Italy showed the highest level of opposition at 24 percent, while Germany recorded the lowest at 12 percent.