Israel: Survey shows how the backing in Europe is crumbling

Israel recently had to take unusually hard criticism from German politics: Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the suffering of the civilian population in Gaza can no longer be justified by fighting the Hamas terror. And Foreign Minister Johann WadePhul made it clear to his Israeli counterpart that he considers the planned expansion of settlement in the West Bank to be contrary to international law.

The critical attitude is also reflected in the international public perception of Israel, not only in Germany. The YouGov opinion research institute has regularly conducted surveys to view Israel in several Western European countries since the end of 2016. Yougov has the results star provided in advance. They show that the approval values ​​have recently reached almost in all considered countries at a low point since the start of the surveys.

On October 7, 2023, the Hamas Israel and covered up a number of Kibbutzim and a music festival with their terror. Almost 1200 people died that day, around 250 were delayed as hostages in the Gaza Strip. Israel replied with military hardness. Since then there has been war in Gaza. A war that cost tens of thousands of people and made an estimated 1.9 million inland. The curve shows almost everywhere: with growing war duration, approval for Israel fell.

In May 2025, many respondents in the countries examined expressed understanding of the military reaction of Israel on the terrorist attack. At the same time, they accused political leadership of accepting too many victims. In Germany, 40 percent shared this opinion, as many as nowhere else. In Spain and Italy, the proportion of those who consider a military approach in Gaza are completely greater than in the other countries. And everywhere at least one fifth of the respondents do not seem to be safe when assessing the procedure.

The long -term survey also shows how the sympathy has developed with the Israeli or Palestinian side since May 2023. Around 2023, 38 percent of those surveyed still stated that they were more likely to sympathize with Israel, 10 percent with the Palestinian side. The rest indicated almost equally to be unsure or to sympathize with both sides equally. In May 2025, the sympathies were 17 percent for Israel and 18 percent among the Palestinians, 28 percent stated not to prefer any side, the warehouse of unsafe has grown to 37 percent.

In view of the situation, it also becomes clear that belief in permanent peace is disappearing. In June 2024, 31 percent believed in Germany that a permanent peace between Israelis and Palestinians can be closed within the next ten years. Almost a year later, it is only 25 percent. The most pessimistic assessment is 15 percent in Denmark.