The figure rose from 48% in 2005 to 78% this spring, two-and-a-half years into the genocide in Gaza and just after Israel and the U.S. had attacked Iran [1]. Almost 80% of respondents said they view Israel as a serious threat, compared with almost 50% 20 years ago, according to the survey [2].
The survey was conducted in spring, two-and-a-half years after the start of the Gaza war and following Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran [3]. Separately, 74% of Britons now regard the U.S. as a serious threat to world peace, the same survey found [4].
Poll Shows 17% Believe Israel Not Committing Genocide in Gaza
The NatCen poll comes months after an earlier poll conducted by YouGov. The July poll commissioned by the Council for British-Arab Understanding found that 17% of respondents believe Israel is not committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
The war on Iran has affected the British economy, leaving households paying more for energy, food and mortgages. The rising bills have brought the cost of Israel's wars in the Middle East home to British households.
Last week, the Bank of England raised its base rate from 3.75% to 4%, its first increase in more than three years. The rate rise pushes up payments for borrowers on mortgages and adds to the cost of taking out or renewing a home loan.
Survey Shows Shifting British Attitudes Toward Global Threats
By autumn 2024, a year into Israel's genocide in Gaza, 73% of Britons saw Israel as a serious threat to world peace [1]. In 1994, under U.S. President Bill Clinton, 22% of Britons saw the United States as a serious threat. By 2005, two years after President George W. Bush invaded Iraq, that number rose to 47%.
The survey found that 89% of Britons see Russia as a serious threat to world peace, compared with 62% who say the same of China [5]. Around 75% of Britons believe Iran poses a risk to global peace [6].
Casualty Figures and Regional Context
According to Middle East Eye, Israel has killed at least 74,643 Palestinians in Gaza – including more than 22,000 children – and wounded 175,962. Since the ceasefire on Oct. 11, 2025, Israel has killed 1,613 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded more than 5,833 people. These figures are part of the context in which British attitudes have shifted, according to the survey report.
The report noted that Israel's image has apparently been damaged due to its involvement in recent conflicts in the Middle East [7]. Less than half of Britons regarded Israel as a serious threat to world peace two decades ago, before rising to nearly three-quarters of respondents by the fall of 2024, following the war on Gaza [7].
Report Describes Shift as "Undoubtedly Novel"
The findings come from the annual British Social Attitudes survey, the U.K.'s longest-running survey of social and political attitudes. The survey indicates a significant change in British public opinion regarding international threats. "However, that a clear majority of the population have come to regard Britain's most important ally in the post-war international order as a threat to global peace is undoubtedly novel," the NatCen survey said.
References
- Nearly 80 percent of Britons see Israel as a threat to world peace. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/nearly-80-percent-britons-see-israel-threat-world-peace-gaza-iran
- Survey: Some 78% of Britons view Israel as serious threat. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-914381
- Nearly 80 percent of Britons see Israel as a threat to world peace. https://sudanindependent.net/news/politics/2026/11/10/Nearly-80-percent-of-Britons-s
- BSA | A more dangerous world | National Centre for Social Research. https://natcen.ac.uk/publications/bsa-more-dangerous-world
- Nearly 80 percent of Britons see Israel as a threat to world. https://www.reddit.com/r/ukpolitics/comments/1xryhsa/nearly_80_percent_of_britons_see_israel_as_a/
- Almost 75% of Britons view US as serious threat to global peace. https://news.sky.com/story/almost-75-of-britons-view-us-as-serious-threat-to-global-peace-13608212
- Notable Shift.. 78% of Britons See Israel as a Threat to Peace. https://www.sadanews.ps/en/news/351881.html
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