Majority of Brits in favor of full arms embargo on Israel: Poll
Survey shows majority also in favor of sanctions against Israeli government ministers and for Israel to be expelled from UN
Demonstrators gather in front of the UK High Court demanding an end to the supply of weapons used in the attacks on Gaza in London, United Kingdom
LONDON
A vast majority of the British public supports a full arms embargo and sanctions against Israel, according to a new poll released Wednesday, as international criticism mounts over Israel's military offensive in Gaza and restrictions on humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
The poll revealed that respondents supported a full arms embargo on Israel by over four to one, including 72% of those who voted for the Labour Party in the 2024 General Election.
The survey, conducted by Opinium, on behalf of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), showed a clear majority are also in favor of sanctions against Israeli government ministers and for Israel to be expelled from the UN, with only 16% of respondents opposed to Israel’s expulsion.
This came as many people, including MPs, are holding a kilometer-long red fabric line around parliament to call on the government to end all military support to Israel and impose sanctions to prevent further war crimes
In a statement, Ben Jamal, director of PSC, said the polling "speaks to Israel’s growing isolation" and the significant public support for sanctions.
"By continuing to arm and support Israel even as it enacts a genocide and a policy of forced starvation, the British government is holding on to an increasingly fringe position, completely out of sync with public opinion, and with the views of those who supported it at the last Election," he added.
Early Wednesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer labelled the recent Israeli offensive as "appalling, counterproductive, and intolerable."
At least 54,607 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war since October 2023, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
The Israeli army resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip on March 18, breaking a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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