Britis' Israel View

From Jewish News:

"Israel at 70: Britons almost twice as likely to back UK support for Jewish state as oppose it"

Britons are nearly twice as likely to back UK support for Israel as oppose it, new research for the Jewish News has shown.  As the Jewish state prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary, attitudes towards bilateral relations are revealed in a ComRes poll of 2,039 adults.  It shows a considerable percentage of respondents not ready to express an opinion on a range of issues about Israel. But while 43 percent said they ‘don’t know if Britain should continue its support for Israel as a valuable ally, 62 of those expressing a view agreed compared to 38 percent who disagreed.  After removing the ‘don’t knows’, 56 percent say Britain and Israel are natural allies and 67 percent believe Israel has contributed to the world a significant proportion of scientific and technical advances. Of the latter, 85 percent aged over 65 agreed, compared to 56 percent of 18-34 year-olds. Just five percent of those surveyed said they had visited the country while one in four Britons were interested in going for the first time – with young people most likely to want to make the journey. Overall, more than 70 percent said they had no interest in going. ComRes chair Andrew Hawkins said: “Although only one in 20 Britons have ever visited, there is clearly a substantial degree of warmth towards Israel and a widespread recognition of its contribution to the world. “The number of people who don’t know enough to express an opinion towards Israel is high, showing that more needs to be done to explain Israel’s importance to Britain. But the proportion expressing a positive opinion outnumber those taking a negative view by around two to one. Older people especially are more positive; of those able to express a view the overwhelming sentiment is appreciative of Israel as an ally to Britain and a major contributor to the world.”The poll was conducted before the Great Return March on the Gaza border. 

^ This is a change from previous British actions. UK owned Mandatory Palestine (present-day Israel) from 1920-1948. Because of rampant Anti-Semitism the Brits kept Jews fleeing the Holocaust from entering Palestine (thus helping them be killed by the Germans), they also kept Holocaust survivors from going there after the war and even kept them in inhumane detention camps in former Nazi concentration camps and in Cyprus. The Brits also allowed the Arabs/Muslims to gain weapons (including former British Military ones) to go after the Jews once the Brits left. Despite everything the UK did and tried to do the Jew/ Israelis overcame and even thrived and are now celebrating 70 years of Independence - while the UK doesn't seem very "united" with the whole Brexit mess.^

http://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/israel-at-70-britons-almost-twice-as-likely-to-back-uk-support-for-jewish-state-as-oppose-it/