To think that this really can't be true about young people's thoughts about Israel?

[Another2Cats]

So, I just read an article where they say they have done a poll of young people and, of those under 25, 54% said that they agree with the statement "the state of Israel should not exist". Just 21% disagreed.

Did the polling company manage to just randomly pick a bunch of people that feel this way, or is this genuinely how many young people feel?

IABU to think that this can't really be true? (I am quite prepared to accept that IABU and that this really is what a majority of young people believe)

The link is here:

https://unherd.com/newsroom/majority-of-young-britons-think-israel-should-not-exist/

and this is the text of the article:

A majority of Britain’s young people do not believe Israel should exist, a new UnHerd poll has revealed.

A preliminary finding of an exclusive survey of 1,012 voters about foreign policy, conducted by Focaldata and due to be released tomorrow on UnHerd, found that a striking 54% of 18-24-year-olds agreed with the statement that “the state of Israel should not exist.” Just 21% disagreed.

This finding dovetails with other UnHerd polling on the same issue. In a separate question, young respondents were asked who was more to blame for the war in Gaza. Half blamed the Israeli government, while a quarter answered Hamas. Only 19% responded “all equally”.

The war’s high degree of exposure online and on social media appears to have fuelled interest among Britain’s young. An AI-generated “all eyes on Rafah” graphic was shared more than 44 million times on Instagram recently, with pro-Palestine content also proliferating on TikTok. Critics have argued that the Chinese social media platform has deliberately promoted anti-Israel content, which TikTok has denied, citing the existing attitudes of its young user base.

These attitudes are reflected in further UnHerd polling, which asked young Britons about their level of interest in wars around the world. It found that Britons aged 18-24 are far more interested in the war in Gaza than they are in the Russia-Ukraine conflict or in US-China tensions. Among this group, 38% were very interested in Gaza and 28% were somewhat interested, compared with 19% and 44% who were very or somewhat interested in the war in Ukraine, respectively.

As the Israeli war enters its eighth month, public opinion has slowly shifted in Palestine’s favour. Historic polling shows that popular support for Israel was at its highest shortly after the 7 October attacks at 21%, but this figure has since fallen. Although young people were most sceptical of Israel before the attack, the overall level of support for the Jewish state over the same time frame has plummeted to 16%, according to YouGov figures.

As of this week, a new ceasefire proposal is on the table, and the US is pushing Israel to accept it. The deal would involve the exchange of prisoners for hostages and would pave the way for negotiations. A ceasefire has strong majority support in the UK.

More nonsense. These boards are full of posts criticising Israel and supporting Palestine.

You might want to consider why people are just so keen to compare Jews to Nazis.

I have 3 DC aged 21, 19 and 16.

We are an international family and follow the news and regularly debate topics. Over the easter holiday all were home and we talked about it a lot. Dh and I tried to give more nuanced views, to look at the history, to talk about both sides.

they all heard what we were saying, but they all completely and utterly think Israel is committing genocide and that Israel is in the wrong. Hamas behaviour at the start or the war is simple not enough to justify what is happening now.

To be honest, despite us trying to help them see a more complete and nuanced picture and give them some idea of history, I find it hard to disagree. I feel that Israel is 100% in the wrong in their current actions. Bombing a hospital because there are terrorists underneath is not acceptable. The ends does not justify the means, and it is hard to get away from the idea that Israel is treating all of the Palsintians as cannon fodder in order to try and get rid of Hamas.

So no I am not surprised at the results of the survey. I think young people are seeing a massacre and reacting to it. If Israel doesn't like that then stop killing people .

@noblegiraffe

The ghettoising of people of certain ethnicities maybe?

How about the imprisoning of people without charge?

Building walls and controlling access to and from those areas that have been ghettoised?

Seizing property that was formerly owned by people from that ethnic minority and claiming it is totally legal?

You maybe want to consider why comparisons can be drawn, denying that they can.

I said comparing Jews to Nazis.

People who hate Jews love comparing them to Nazis because the Nazis murdered 6 million of them, and wanted to murder them all.

It is a comparison deliberately designed to cause as much hurt to a Jew as possible.

So should be avoided. Not justified with ‘no, wait, this time it should be ok to compare Jews to Nazis because I really want to.

The Israeli government and IDF are being criticized for their actions not because they are Jewish.

The IHRA defintion says "drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis" and I asked a question why we can't do this, not comparing Jews to Nazis.

It was you that conflated the two ( which btw would put you in contravention of the IHRA definition as you are holding Jews responsible for the actions of the state of Israel).

No, it isn't designed to hurt Jews more than anyone else, the comparison between the Nazi policies and other countries happens all the time.

If you follow the quotations back you’ll see it started with PP’s assertion that “if Glastonbury got invaded and thousands of innocent British young people were slaughtered on site or kidnapped, the attackers would have hell to pay. If the attackers hid in amongst locals, I have no doubt the UK, America etc would also attack.” So if you think the thread shouldn’t involve a discussion around this you should direct that at them.

Comparing Jews to Nazis is easily avoided, perhaps you should try it now that you remember what the Nazis did to the Jews and why antisemites love throwing it in their face.

Israel is a Jewish state created in the aftermath of the Holocaust, btw, so guess why they also love comparing that to the Nazis?

But perhaps you know more than the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance?

@noblegiraffe Wasn't comparing Jews to Nazis, the actions of the Israeli government instead.

You are allowed to disagree with the IHRA definition, and in that particular instance I do. The IHRA definition is also not a legal definition.

But yes, anyone who criticises Israel and makes comparisons that its supporters find inconvenient is an anti-Semite.

Along with the ICJ, UN, World Court, Amnesty International etc etc.

One of the things about this conflict is that it has made the use of that word diminish very much in its power.

But yes, anyone who criticises Israel and makes comparisons that its supporters find inconvenient is an anti-Semite.

No, it’s the Nazi thing. As explained.

But yes, anyone who criticises Israel and makes comparisons that its supporters find inconvenient is an anti-Semite

Yes this crap is spouted at us all the time. Plenty of people manage to criticise Israel without being called anti semites. I see loads of comments criticising Israel which I don't consider to be anti semetic.

@noblegiraffe but accurate comparisons can be made between the actions of the Israeli state and that of the Nazis, calling it anti-Semitic is just a way to deflect this inconvenience.

@Comedycook

I've provided a small list of organisations that have recently been called anti-Semitic by different politicians and posters.

I don't consider comparing the actions of the Israeli state with those of Nazis to be anti-Semitic, Noblegiraffe does though. The same goes for other criticisms.

All I’m hearing is ‘but I really want to compare Jews to Nazis’

Don’t be silly.

What made you pick the Nazis to compare to? As opposed to other regimes?

@noblegiraffe Because you are desperate to dismiss any critique or comparison as anti-semitic.

It isn't.

I don't consider comparing the actions of the Israeli state with those of Nazis to be anti-Semitic, Noblegiraffe does though.

It’s the IHRA definition, not ‘noblegiraffe’.

Not any criticism. The specific comparison with Nazis. This isn’t difficult.

But if the policies can be compared with those of Nazis then they can be compared can't they. We do this with other regimes all the time.

I think this is a way of avoiding uncomfortable comparisons for the supporters of Israel.

Also, I think other groups should publish working definitions of what constitutes prejudice and racism against them.

I see people are being anti semitic again and claiming it is not anti semitism. So predictable. It happens on any thread about Israel and Palestine.

Yep and then play the victim claiming it's impossible to criticise Israel without being called anti semetic. Same old, same old.

@noblegiraffe and as said, it is perfectly fine to question the IHRA definition. I don't question all of it, just this one bit.

Why can't you make comparisons when policies have been similar in some ways? Please explain.

What I see a lot is people using the accusation of antisemitism ( as has been used against the ICC and lots of aid agencies) to dismiss critique.

Maybe someone should call the police on LordPercy?