Do people fully support Palestine?

[Dawk]

I read this article and the scales fell from my eyes a bit: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/11/amid-the-ceasefire-wrangling-how-popular-is-hamas-in-gaza-now

I hadn’t realised that a majority of Gazans want a conservative Islamist state and the complete destruction of Israel to create an Islamic state covering the whole country (from the river to the sea I guess). They also support violence and even the sacrifice of their own lives.

I am appalled by the destruction and loss of life in Gaza, but having read this article I can’t understand why support for Palestine isn’t more caveated. Why are people waving flags and supporting Gaza so unconditionally? When you look at the polling described in the article it seems fairly clear that many/most don’t actually want peace unless it follows the complete destruction of Israel.

For me it’s a bit like supporting Iran. I would never wave the Iranian flag around because of what the country stands for. In this case I am horrified by the scale of destruction wrought by the IDF so support Palestine completely in that respect but I’d never wave the flag or chant the slogans.

If you consider yourself ‘pro-Palestine’, what do you think of the ideology described in the article?

You do realise that there are indeed many Jewish people living in the UK? Currently not stealing our farms, homes, or children's lives. Just getting on with their lives, all the while having to put up with the tripe what you just said above.

while slightly more than half preferred a dissolution of Israel, with a single Palestinian state under Islamic law the most preferred solution of all. The least preferred was a single democratic state with equal rights for Arabs and Jews.

I think the Palestinians just want the Jews out of Israel. I'm not sure where they are supposed to go. The majority of the Middle East is Muslim & the Jewish people have a tiny piece of land.

I think there is some resentment that they are economically more successful than other countries in the region. However the Jewish people have prospered despite being targeted during WW2 & having to start all over again. They seem to have done well in the tech industry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economyoff_Israel

I think they took on land which wasn't really worth much & have transformed it into the most successful Middle East country. They are surrounded by Muslim countries who don't share the same values & would I think like to take the land for themselves.

@Blue278 You do realise Israel supported Hamas for years for their own political gain, knowing full well what they were capable of, hardly the sign of a country who cares about its people, they have broken International Law many times, Netanyahu is facing arrest warrants along with Hamas and Vladimir Putin, definitely not the sign of a country who can be negotiated with, in fact the sign of a country who thinks it can do whatever it wants and get away with it

Thanks for this. Jewish history in its entirety is an absolutely fascinating story of community and resilience. I wish more people bothered to look it up and then we wouldn't be here with all the misunderstanding and hatred in some cases.

The outright, blatant racism on this thread is sick.

Erm the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are two of the richest countries in the world. Richer than Israel, richer than the UK. Not sure why you're implying that Israel is more prosperous and successful than other countries in the middle east.

It's always the way.

Agree with this. Most intelligent people (of whatever religion/culture/etc) can see the harm caused by both sides and don't look at this as a binary situation but are aware that behind all the politics and war mongering more and more innocent children are suffering.

There's no easy solution now, but continued violence isn't going to make that part of the world better and both sides need to recognise that.

Jewish people living in the UK are not Israelis just as Muslims living in the UK are not Palestinians. Equating the two is inaccurate and unhelpful.

The thing is, the settlers and extremists in Israel are a small minority (albeit one with outsized power atm due to the coalition). Most Israelis are open to peaceful co-existence with Palestinians. It’s a small minority who are motivated by religious zealotry, not over half the population.

If you take the views of the Gazan population into account it seems hopelessly naive to think that if the Israeli aggression stops, the Palestinians will stop too.

Oh for God's sake. I'm aware of the difference between Israelis and Jews.
There are indeed Israeli people and Jewish people living in the uk. You think Israeli people are not allowed to leave Israel?

@Dawk it’s not about numbers it’s about power. Netanyahu actively derailed the Oslo accords which were probably the best chance of peace. And supported the rise of Hamas in order to prevent a unified Palestinian voice for a two state solution. And now we have the support for displacing the people of Gaza with no concrete plans for their future. It has to be recognized that each side has influenced the attitudes of the other. I’m not saying it’s easy but the cessation of Israeli violence and settlement and recognition of their right to exist, along with international support for new emerging leadership options is essential for any hopes of peace.

So basically Israelis aren’t responsible for the small number of thugs they allow to run amok but Palestinians are responsible because most of them don’t like Israeli aggression, even though most Palestinians will by now have lost family members, homes, limbs, starved, …?

Of course Palestinians will never forget how they have been treated. How could they? Driven from their homes, murdered and maimed, starved of food and medicine, of course the world watches with horror and disgust at the perpetrators.

I think you should be careful about conflating the two.

Of course I agree power is important, but if you’re thinking about the likelihood of any particular approach working, the degree of popular support it attracts seems even more important. Netanyahu is unpopular in Israel and unlikely to survive the next election. In Gaza, the tactics and views of Hamas have widespread support, so it seems fairly hopeless that a non-violent, non-extremist leadership could take power.

I think my point was clear.

But you’re mis-stating the views I’m objecting to. I’ve got no issue with them not liking Israeli aggression, obviously. It’s the other stuff that stands in the way. Did you read the article? What do you think?

@Dawk so what is your solution? I agree it will be hard for the people of Gaza to move on, but with the right environment and support by no means impossible.

I sort of thought the same as you but if you look at the Gaza polling my concern is that nothing but the complete capitulation of the other side will do the trick. I can’t see that the population is open to a compromise. It’s possible that this could change over time but it seems unlikely given the history.

As for the solution, I have no idea what would actually work in real life, like everyone else on this planet who has failed to sort it out. The solutions that have a hope of resulting in peace involve massive human rights violations, so we’re stuck.

I do not stand with either Hamas or Israel. But anybody with a heart must feel something at the sight of Palestinian children being shot point blank, mothers and fathers crying over the broken bodies of their children, hospitals and schools and homes destroyed. It strikes me that we don’t see the same images coming from Israel.

Did you miss the images from 7 October 2023?

The media in the UK never publishes images of terrorist attacks or rocket damage in Israel. I have to look at foreign news sites to see them.

I think that peace will come when every Israeli cares about the freedom, safety and happiness of every Palestinian and vice versa. People want to live in predictable worlds where they can grow their families in peace. Ask for the Palestinians what you would want for yourself. I don’t believe it is beyond any of us to place each others needs at the centre of our choices. We are humans and can find a way.

@Dawk opinions change, or people can make pragmatic choices. Support for a two-state solution has fluctuated markedly amongst both Palestinians and Jewish Israelis, but I recently read that support is higher when there is an ongoing peace process. The March 2024 PSR survey saw a marked increase in support from Palestinians for a political rather than violent solution so that again is promising. But I think any hope goes out the window while there is a plan mooted to displace the population of Gaza.

The war in Northern Ireland wasn’t over religious beliefs though?