Young Britons twice as likely to blame Israeli government than Hamas for Gaza war - poll

Only a quarter of 18-24-year-olds blamed Hamas for the war, with 50% laying the blame at the feet of Netanyahu's government.

 Demonstrators cross the Westminster Bridge as they participate in a silent procession during a vigil for Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in London, Britain February 10, 2024.  (photo credit: REUTERS/HOLLIE ADAMS)
Demonstrators cross the Westminster Bridge as they participate in a silent procession during a vigil for Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in London, Britain February 10, 2024.
(photo credit: REUTERS/HOLLIE ADAMS)

Over half (54%) of Britons aged 18-24 do not believe that Israel should exist, a new poll by UnHerd revealed on Wednesday.

The poll, which collected data from 1,012 voters, found that younger voters were generally less likely to believe the Jewish state should exist. 

A total of 35% of voters aged 25-34 shared the view that Israel shouldn’t exist, a perspective that dropped to 25% of voters aged 35-44 and 12% of respondents aged 45-54.

Participants aged over 65 years were most likely to support Israel’s existence, with only 7% saying that the state shouldn’t.

Who is to blame for the war?

Asked who was to blame for the current conflict, 50% of young voters (18-24) claimed that the Israeli government was to blame and 15% said the fault lay with the Israeli people.

 People attend the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) rally in support of the Palestinian people, in London, Britain, April 5, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/Belinda Jiao)
People attend the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) rally in support of the Palestinian people, in London, Britain, April 5, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/Belinda Jiao)

Only a quarter of the respondents in the 18-25 age group blamed Hamas for the war, and 19%  of this group blamed both Israel and Hamas equally. 

The age group 25-34 took a similar stance, with 34% blaming the war on the Israeli government and only 18% saying the blame lay with Hamas. Respondents in this age category more frequently answered that it was both Hamas and the Israeli government's fault (28%).

More than double those in the 25-34 category blamed the Israeli people (12%) than the Palestinian people (5%.)

Despite younger respondents taking a harsher stance with Israel, the overall trend was that respondents laid more blame with Hamas (31%) than the Israeli government (27%.) A quarter of all respondents answered that Hamas and the Israeli government were equally to blame. 

Only 5% of all respondents answered that the Palestinian people were to blame for the conflict and 6% said the Israeli people were. 


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Only the category 65+ placed no blame with the Israeli people, and only 5% of this group placed blame on the Palestinian people.