Most Germans fear Gaza violence will spark terror attacks

Polling released on Sunday found that a majority of Germans thought attacks with large numbers of casualties were likely as a result of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Germany's government has assured Israel of its full solidarity and, unlike some other European countries, has not called for a cease-fire.

What did the survey show?

Attacks with very high casualty figures were considered to be either very or highly likely by some 59% of respondents in the YouGov poll.

Meanwhile, 27% believed that such attacks in Germany were very or somewhat unlikely.

When it came to the possible consequences of the Gaza war on Germany, the possibility of terror attacks was the prime concern of 25% of people. Some 26% cited their main concern as the arrival of more refugees from the Middle East.

Third on the list of fears was that it would lead to a growth in antisemitism in Germany, a concern highlighted by 17% of respondents.

A further 10% feared there would be a deterioration of relations with countries with Muslim-majority populations, 8% were most worried about rising energy prices and 6% cited growing hostility towards Muslims as their main anxiety.

How do Germans view their government's response?

When it came to the German government's stance on the war, this was seen as balanced by some 39% of people who were questioned.

In contrast, 32% believed that the government showed too much favor to Israel, while 7% said Berlin was siding with the Palestinians too much.

Germany has backed "humanitarian pauses" and called for more aid for Palestinians trapped in Gaza, but abstained from a UN vote calling for a complete cease-fire.

The results of the poll for the German DPA news agency were based on an online survey of 2,123 respondents across Germany between November 3 and 7, 2023.

The apparent change in attitudes stems from terror attacks carried out by Hamas on October 7 that killed around 1,200 people in Israel, some 200 less than originally thought.

Israel's military response in Gaza has killed over 11,000 people, mostly civilians, according to figures released on Friday from the Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry. While the numbers could not be independently verified, international aid organizations consider them broadly accurate and historically reliable from previous conflicts.

Edited by: Alex Berry

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