KEIR Starmer’s staunch defence of Israel appears to be putting him at odds with Labour voters, new polling suggests.
The Prime Minister said the UK stood with Israel after Iran attacked the country last week, saying that “Britain stands full square against such violence”.
But new research suggests that British attitudes towards the crisis in the Middle East are at odds with the stance of the Government, especially Labour voters.
A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times found that 44% of Labour voters say their sympathies lie more with the Palestinians than the Israelis, with just 10% saying they were more sympathetic to the Israelis.
Since the Hamas attacks of October 7, which led to Israel’s brutal bombardment of Gaza, more Labour voters said their sympathies had shifted to the Palestinians.
Asked how their views had changed over the last year, 28% of Labour voters said they had become “more sympathetic” towards Palestine, while just 5% said they had become more sympathetic towards Israel.
Among Tory voters 10% said they were more sympathetic towards Palestine while the same percentage now felt more sympathy for Israel.
On Gaza, 52% of Labour voters said they thought Israel should withdraw troops from the region “immediately, without waiting for a deal”.
Some 45% of Labour voters said it was “unacceptable” for Israel to use airstrikes to kill Hezbollah leaders and 49% said it was 'unacceptable' for Israel to invade Lebanon.
Elsewhere, 47% of Labour voters think that Israel was right to invade Gaza but has now gone “too far”.
The results were split neatly on party lines, with Tory voters taking virtually the polar opposite view to Labour supporters on each issue.
Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said the figures showed Starmer's views were at odds with "thousands" of Labour supporters who were "horrified by their party's decision to arm and support Israel's assault against the people of Gaza and Lebanon".
He added: "Working for peace is not an issue of party politics. It is about showing basic humanity and human solidarity in the face of mounting atrocities.
"Inaction is a choice, and it has consequences. The impunity offered to Israel by the UK and other complicit governments has allowed genocide to be inflicted on Gaza and enabled some of the worst war crimes of the 21st century.
"The UK Government should be using every opportunity to call for a meaningful ceasefire, an end to the violence in Lebanon and full statehood for Palestine. The first step towards that would be to end all arms exports and military cooperation."
Harvie called on Starmer to "listen to their own supporters and end the political and military support that they are offering".
Speaking in Downing Street on Tuesday evening after Iran bombed Israel, Starmer said: “Iran must stop these attacks.
“Together with its proxies like Hezbollah, Iran has menaced the Middle East for far too long, chaos and destruction brought not just to Israel, but to the people they live amongst in Lebanon and beyond.
“Make no mistake, Britain stands full square against such violence. We support Israel’s reasonable demand for the security of its people.”
Writing in this week’s Sunday Times, the Prime Minister (above) called on all parties to “act with restraint and return to political, not military solutions”.
He said: “The flames from this deadly conflict now threaten to consume the region. And the sparks light touchpapers in our own communities here at home.”
Starmer added: “There are always some who would use conflict abroad to stoke conflict here. Since October 7, we have watched vile hatred against Jews and Muslims rise in our communities.”
Starmer warned that a “direct Iran-Israel conflict would have devastating consequences for the people of the Middle East and across the world.
He later added: “The anniversary of the October 7 attacks should remind us of the cost of political failure.
“No security will be found in greater destabilisation. A better future will not be won by traumatising, orphaning and displacing another generation.”
On Saturday evening, the Associated Press news agency reported that Israel expanded its bombardment in Lebanon, hitting Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Amid the escalating violence, the last currently scheduled charter flight for Britons wishing to flee Lebanon is due to depart on Sunday.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has said that more than 250 people have been able to leave so far on the three chartered flights that have already left Beirut.
There are no more scheduled charter flights, the FCDO said, due to a decrease in demand, but this will be kept under review.
Announcing Sunday’s flight, Foreign Secretary David Lammy (above) said: “The situation in Lebanon remains volatile, so I am glad that we have helped the many people who have heeded our advice to leave the country immediately.
“With demand falling, and the security situation deteriorating, there is no guarantee other options to leave quickly will become available. I urge anyone who wants to leave to register now."
