Research: 78 percent of Britons see Israel as a "serious threat" to world peace

The research titled "British Social Attitudes (BSA): A More Dangerous World" published by the UK-based National Social Research Center (NatCen) examined the British public's perception of threats to world peace, their view of international alliances and their attitudes towards defense spending.

In the research conducted by NatCen with the participation of 1973 people, participants were asked to what extent various countries could pose a threat to world peace in the next 10 years.

In the research, the percentage of British people who consider Israel a "serious threat" to world peace increased from 48 percent in 2005 to 78 percent in 2026. This rate was recorded as 73 percent in 2024, when Israel's attacks on Gaza continued, and 68 percent in the autumn of 2025.

In the study, which evaluated that the conflicts in the Middle East may have been effective in the increase in negative perception towards Israel, it was commented that the said rate reached 78 percent after the attacks of Israel and the USA against Iran.

The rate of those who see the USA as a serious threat increased to 74 percent

The research also revealed that there was a significant increase in the British people's threat perception towards the USA.

While the rate of those who see the USA as a serious threat to world peace was 35 percent in 2024, this rate increased to 74 percent this year.

It was pointed out that the public's attitude towards the USA in the UK has changed following the disagreements between the USA with its NATO allies over Greenland and the attacks against Iran together with Israel.

In the survey, 89 percent of British people considered Russia, 75 percent Iran and 62 percent China as a serious threat to world peace.

It was emphasized that, due to the impact of international instability and conflicts, the British public sees the world as a more dangerous place than in the past.