4 June, 2025
Left Foot Forward
Brits back a full arms embargo on Israel by a four-to-one margin.
Brits back a full arms embargo on Israel by a four-to-one margin.
Bombshell new polling shows overwhelming support for full arms embargo on Israel, with four times more people in favour than against it.
The Opinium poll, conducted on behalf of Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) found that 57% of the British public support ending arms sales to Israel, while only 13% oppose doing so.
Support for an arms embargo increases to 71% among those who voted for the Labour Party at the 2024 general election.
Last September, the government suspended around 30 arms export licences after it assessed that the items might be used to facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law.
Over 90% of the arms export licenses to Israel have still not been suspended.
The polling revealed similar levels of support for imposing sanctions on the Israeli government.
Out of 2,050 respondents, 53% said they would back government sanctions against Israel’s finance minister, who has called for Gaza to be “cleansed” and the destruction of “what’s left”.
In addition, a clear majority (54%) was in favour of Israel being expelled from the United Nations, while just 16% opposed the expulsion.
In regard to boycotting Israeli products, twice as many people supported supermarkets taking Israeli goods off its shelves as opposed it.
Today, thousands of PSC activists will surround Parliament with a red line when Prime Minister’s Questions will be taking place in the Commons.
They plan to hold a kilometre-long stretch of red fabric to symbolise the call for the UK to take meaningful action on Gaza by ending military support and imposing sanctions on Israel.
Two weeks ago, Foreign Secretary David Lammy called Israel’s latest offensive “morally unjustifiable” in Parliament, yet the UK continues to provide Israel with military and diplomatic backing.
The legality of UK arms sales to Israel is currently being reviewed by the High Court.
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.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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