'Confused' youth from Generation Z are more likely to greet Hamas as 'freedom fighters' than 'terrorists' – despite the group's barbaric rape and killing spree in October, a report says.
More in Common's research found that Britons were divided over who to support in the Israel-Hamas conflict, with the public sympathizing with both sides – amid claims that Britons from the age of eight were now being influenced over who to supports.
But it found that young people aged 18 to 24 were more likely to take the Palestinian side of the conflict and overlook the October 7 massacre in which more than 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered by Hamas gunmen, sparking Israel's outrage retaliation in Gaza.
More than a third of Gen Z (36 percent) supported Palestinians, compared to just one in ten of those aged 56 and over, and just under one in five (17 percent) of 'Generation from 41 to 55 years. year olds and 24 percent of 25 to 40 year old 'Millennials'.
Protests in support of both Israelis and Palestinians have flared up in cities around the world since Hamas's violent incursion. But the More in joint report warns: 'The way debates play out and are presented poses very real risks to both community relations and the safety of individuals in Britain.'
'Confused' Generation Z youth are more likely to call Hamas fighters 'freedom fighters' than 'terrorists', a study shows
Younger people were “more sympathetic” to the Palestinian side of the conflict, the report found
Younger Britons are now being pressured by their peers to 'take a side' in the war, the report said, while adults misled by online conspiracy theories about the conflict were 'at risk of radicalisation'.
The survey found that Britain as a whole was shocked by the October massacre and that the public remained concerned that innocent civilians were dying on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides.
However, the report warned that perceptions in Britain could not be broken down into 'strong binaries' as it 'leaves discussions to those with the loudest voices and silences the views of the majority of Britons'.
More In Common said this 'endangers polarization in this area', leading to ordinary Britons feeling 'forced to pick and choose' while giving 'a small but vocal group of conflict entrepreneurs and extremists permission to' to sow discord and hatred'. .
“We have already seen examples of this with attacks on Jewish workplaces and study places, a rise in anti-Muslim hatred and an increase in far-right activity,” the study said.
More In Common also found “sympathy” for Hamas, “suggesting that more needs to be done to tackle the risk of radicalization as a result of the conflict.”
Among Gen Z, about 24 percent said they would describe Hamas as “freedom fighters” — while the same number would call them “terrorists,” the poll found. That age group also had the largest number of people saying they didn't know which word was more appropriate.
The research also found that younger people were more concerned about being 'attacked or pigeonholed' if they didn't take sides, and worried about getting the conflict wrong.
The war has sparked intense protests around the world, with hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters marching in London in recent weeks.
Most Britons have not taken a side in the conflict – but support for the Palestinian side is more dominated by activists, 'a passionate and vocal group for whom politics is at the core of their identity', the survey said.
A third of 18 to 24-year-olds reported having had a 'heated conversation or argument' with friends or family about the war, compared to one in 10 Britons overall.
One youth said: 'My brother supports Palestine and my father supports Israel, so it's become like a family feud… Everyone in my year [at school] is arguing about it online.”
A primary school teacher, who lives in Oxford, said: '[Social media] promotes this radicalization of children. It's all over social media, and a lot of it isn't factual. And you have children of eight or nine years old who say: 'I stand with the Palestinians'. And you think, 'You're eight or nine, how the hell do you know what they said?' They are so influenced.”
Luke Tryl, director of More in Common, said: “Young people are particularly affected by the conflict. Many schoolchildren and students we spoke to told us they did not think their schools and universities were equipped to deal with the fallout from the conflict – to tackle bullying or to create space to discuss the conflict.”
The report also found that among those who say they have attended a rally or protest related to the conflict, 35 percent say “freedom fighters” is the best word to describe Hamas, compared to 20 percent who use the word “terrorist.” would use. .
“This again suggests that those who attended meetings are not reflective of the average Briton in terms of their perception of actions in the conflict,” the report said.
Thousands of schoolchildren across Britain have missed lessons to march through city centers demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
Since the outbreak of the war between Hamas and Israel, crimes of anti-Semitism have soared across London, by 1,350 percent, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of London in recent weeks, with pro-Palestinian supporters sparking outrage after being spotted with anti-Semitic posters and defying police warnings with hate speech while singing 'From The River To The Sea' , an incendiary chant, according to some, calling for the non-existence of Israel.
Crimes of Islamphobia in the capital have also increased since the start of the war between Hamas and Israel, the Met added.
On Sunday, Brendan Cox, the husband of Labor MP Jo Cox who was murdered in 2016, was involved in organizing a peace vigil outside Downing Street to 'speak out against both anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred'.