Arms embargo on Israel backed by majority of UK public, poll finds

Staggering new polling that Opinium carried out on behalf of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has revealed strong majorities in favour of a full arms embargo and sanctions on Israel.

Notably, respondents supported a full arms embargo on Israel by over 4 to 1. This includes 72% of those who voted for the Labour Party in the 2024 general election.

British public overwhelmingly back an arms embargo on Israel

There were also clear majorities in favour of sanctions against Israeli government ministers and for Israel to be expelled from the United Nations, with only 16% of respondents opposed to Israel’s expulsion.

Additionally, the poll showed strong support for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS). In particular, respondents backed local government pension scheme divestment from companies complicit in Israel’s violations of international law by over 3 to 1.

Moreover, respondents supported supermarkets taking Israeli goods off the shelves by 2 to 1. This follows the vote at the AGM of the Co-op to cease all trade with Israel

Thousands of Palestine solidarity activists will surround Parliament with a red line on Wednesday 4 June at 12pm. This will coincide with Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs), which will be taking place in the House of Commons.

The kilometre-long red fabric they will be holding symbolises the demand for the UK to finally take meaningful action on the Gaza genocide. Crucially, this entails stopping all military support to and imposing sanctions on Israel.

Growing condemnation for the UK government propping up genocide

There has been growing condemnation of Israel’s actions as it continues to bombard the Gaza Strip on a daily basis. It continues to destroy the infrastructure essential to life, having already killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, including approximately 20,000 children.

For nearly three months, Israel has imposed a total blockade preventing all humanitarian assistance. This is resulting in deaths by starvation, widespread malnutrition, and hunger amongst 2.3 million people. Israel has now imposed a severely limited and militarised aid operation, that international aid organisations have condemned. It has resulted in Israel shooting dead scores of Palestinians as they queue up for food.

In the UK, MPs and peers from all parties have made urgent calls for the government to take action. At the end of May, 828 UK-based legal experts, among them former Supreme Court justices, signed a letter to prime minister Sir Keir Starmer warning that “genocide is being perpetrated in Gaza”.

They said the UK and all countries were legally obliged to “prevent and punish genocide”, but that:

the UK’s actions to date have failed to meet those standards.

They called on the UK government to impose trade sanctions. On top of this, they urged the government to suspend the UK’s “2030 Roadmap” with Israel – an agreement on defence, technology, and other areas.

Labour’s support to genocidal Israel: crossing a red line

Despite Foreign Secretary David Lammy calling Israel’s latest offensive “morally unjustifiable” in a Commons statement two weeks ago, the UK government has failed to recognise Israel’s actions as constituting genocide. Moreover, it continues to provide a range of military, diplomatic, and economic support to Israel.

The High Court is now examining legality of the UK’s decisions concerning arms sales to Israel.

Ben Jamal, PSC Director, said:

The polling released this morning 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.

Those bringing the demand for an arms embargo to Parliament today in a symbolic red line are doing so knowing that the demand is supported by the majority of their fellow citizens.

Featured image via the Canary