Over 25% of UK Students Call Oct. 7 Hamas Attack Defensible
A survey found 28 percent of British university students view the October 7th Hamas terror attacks as defensible, compared to just 4 percent of the general public.
The polling, conducted by Savanta between May 5 and 13 for the Higher Education Policy Institute, shows that 28 per cent of undergraduate students view the brutal jihadist assault as defensible, according to Breitbart News. This stands in stark contrast to just 4 per cent of the general British public who told YouGov in 2024 that the attacks were justified.
The October 7th terror attacks saw Hamas jihadists slaughter over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel while taking hundreds more hostage. The massacre included systematic brutality, torture, and deliberate targeting of families and communities near the Gaza border.
Despite the overwhelming evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity, only 18 per cent of students said Israel’s response to the terror attacks was justified. Meanwhile, 50 per cent described the actions of the Jewish state as indefensible.
The Higher Education Policy Institute report acknowledged that while there were differences in terminology and timing between the two surveys, it nonetheless seems highly likely that a larger proportion of students than adults as a whole regard Hamas’s attacks on October 7 2023 as justifiable.
The polling exposed further radical departures from mainstream British opinion across multiple policy areas. An overwhelming 72 per cent of students support unilateral nuclear disarmament for Britain, compared to just 11 per cent of the general population who back abandoning the nation’s nuclear deterrent.
On the question of slavery reparations, 47 per cent of students believe Britain should pay compensation for its historical involvement in the slave trade. This ignores Britain’s pivotal role in abolishing the practice globally through the Royal Navy’s anti-slavery patrols throughout the 19th century. Only 24 per cent of the broader British public supports such reparations payments.
Political preferences among undergraduates reveal an equally stark divergence from the electorate at large. The far-left Green Party commands the support of 35 per cent of students, nearly triple the backing for any other political party.
Labour trails far behind at just 12 per cent, followed by Reform UK at 8 per cent, the Liberal Democrats at 7 per cent, and the Conservatives at a dismal 6 per cent. A quarter of students indicated they have no intention of voting, while 5 per cent remain undecided.
The findings raise serious questions about the ideological climate on British university campuses and the influence of radical activist movements that have normalized support for designated terrorist organizations.
With information from Breitbart News
