Public opinion of Israel has plunged to record lows across Western Europe, with widespread condemnation of its military operations in Gaza, according to the latest YouGov EuroTrack survey on Tuesday.
As Israel pushes forward with plans to seize three-quarters of Gaza following the collapse of a recent ceasefire, sympathy among Europeans appears to be rapidly dwindling.
The survey, conducted in Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, reveals a stark shift in sentiment, with net favourability ratings for Israel reaching their lowest levels since tracking began in 2016.
Germany (-44), France (-48), and Denmark (-54) all recorded historic lows in public opinion towards Israel. Italy (-52) and Spain (-55) also showed deepening disapproval, matching or surpassing previous nadirs dating back to 2021.
In each of the six countries surveyed, only 13 percent to 21 percent of respondents expressed a favourable view of Israel, while 63 percent to 70 percent said their opinion was unfavourable.
Western Europeans are also overwhelmingly critical of Israel’s military strategy in Gaza.
Just 6 percent to 16 percent believe that Israel’s deployment of ground troops and broader attacks in Gaza have been proportionate — a slight decrease from similar polling conducted in October 2023.
Support for the justification of Israel’s actions hovers between 9 percent and 25 percent, with Italy recording the lowest approval.
Between 18 percent and 33 percent of respondents say they sympathise more with Palestinians, compared to just 7 percent to 18 percent for Israelis.
Germany is the only country where sentiment is almost evenly split. Expectations for peace in the Middle East are also on the decline.
Just 29 percent of French respondents believe peace is possible within the next decade — the highest among the six countries — while only 15 percent of Danes share that view.
