{
  "id": 19199549,
  "title": "Around 78% of Britons view Israel as a serious threat to world peace, survey finds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/around-78-of-britons-view-israel-as-a-serious-threat-to-world-peace",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-09T19:32:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/international/article-914381"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent survey conducted by the National Centre for Social Research reveals that approximately 78% of British citizens view Israel as a significant threat to global peace, a sentiment that has grown substantially over the past two decades. In 2024, 78% of respondents expressed concern, compared to 48% in 2004. This increase has also accelerated, with a 10% rise over the last year alone.\n\nSimilarly, 74% of Britons consider the United States a serious threat to world peace, a figure that has doubled in just two years, from 35% in 2024. The country most frequently perceived as posing a threat to global peace was Russia, cited by 89% of respondents, followed by Israel and Iran, both at 75%. The United States and North Korea were seen as threats by 66% and 66% of respondents, respectively, while China and Saudi Arabia were deemed threats by 62% and 34% of those surveyed, respectively.\n\nThe National Centre for Social Research attributes this shift in perception to Israel's involvement in the recent Middle East conflict. Two decades ago, only about half of British people viewed Israel as a threat to peace. However, by the autumn of 2024, when Gaza had suffered significant damage following Israel's response to the Hamas incursion in October 2023, nearly three-quarters of respondents held this view. Although this percentage slightly decreased to around two-thirds in a subsequent survey conducted in the spring following Iran's bombing campaign, 78% still perceived Israel as a serious threat to global peace.\n\nThe survey also highlights varying perceptions based on political affiliation. Conservative and Reform supporters were less likely to view Israel or the US as serious threats compared to Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Green supporters. Yet, they were more inclined to consider China, North Korea, and Iran as threats. This divide was particularly evident between Green and Reform supporters, with the former being 26 percentage points more likely to view Israel as a threat and 46 points more likely to view the US as such. Conversely, Reform supporters were more likely to view China, North Korea, and Iran as threats, with substantial gaps of 29, 30, and 35 points, respectively.\n\nAdditionally, younger Britons are more likely than older generations to perceive the US and Israel as threats to global peace, indicating a generational shift in perceptions of Britain's democratic allies. The findings suggest that the government faces a significant communication challenge in maintaining public trust, particularly when addressing security challenges that are gradual, technologically complex, or strategically indirect, such as those posed by China. The patterns are more complex when considering established allies engaged in more high-risk foreign policies, including the United States and Israel.",
  "summary": "A total of 78% of respondents said they view Israel as a serious threat, compared with 48% 20 years ago. The percentage has also increased a full 10% in the last year.",
  "key_points": [
    "78% of Britons view Israel as a serious threat to world peace, up from 48% in 2004",
    "Perception of the US as a threat to peace has doubled in two years, from 35% in 2024",
    "Russia is the most frequently perceived threat to global peace, cited by 89% of respondents"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}