A new survey conducted by the ELNET organization during the month of January among approximately 2,500 German citizens revealed today (Sunday) that in addition to a large public rejection of the terrorist organization Hamas, there is a significant decrease in support for the IDF operation in Gaza among the German public.
The survey shows that 78% of German citizens Hamas is seen in a negative light in light of the massacre it carried out on October 7, according to a new survey conducted this month. However, only 42% agree with the way Israel is currently acting against Hamas in the context of a war of iron swords.
Thousands march in Berlin, the capital of Germany, in support of Hamas // Reuters
The survey, in which approximately 2,500 people participated, also shows that there has been a 5% decrease in the percentage of people who see Hamas in a negative light.
According to the survey, the disapproval of Hamas crosses all parties in the country, although a particularly low rate was among the supporters of the populist right-wing party "Alternative to Germany".
In October, shortly after the massacre, about 55% of Germans supported Israel's actions, but now only 41.8% believe that Israel is responding appropriately.
A similar proportion (41.1%) think that Israel's actions with iron swords do not correspond to the developing situation.
It is precisely among the young people aged 18-29 that there is support for the way Israel is reacting, as well as among the voters of the middle-class FDP party.
Among the voters of the German left-wing parties, only 26% support Israel's response.
Only 36.3% of Germans believe that Germany should do more to mediate between Israel and Hamas.
Among the supporters of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) 57.1% support the statement, among the voters of the left party "De Linka" - 66.5%.
In 2008, Angela Merkel spoke in Jerusalem and defined the existence of Israel and its security as part of Germany's highest interest.
Today, in the shadow of the war, only about 37% of Germans agree with this statement.
This is a 5.5 percent decrease compared to the survey conducted after October 7.
Supporters of the Social Democrats and the Green Party tend to support the historic declaration (50.2% and 56.7%, respectively).
On the other hand, in the "De Linka" and "Alternative to Germany" parties, the rate of identification is lower (27.7% and 22.7%, respectively).
The survey was commissioned by ELNET - an organization that connects Europe and Israel and focuses on foreign and security policy, the fight against anti-Semitism and collaborations around innovation.
Carsten Evans, CEO of ELNET Germany, Austria and Switzerland, told Israel Hayom: "It is encouraging to see that most Germans see Hamas as a terrorist organization.
At the same time, we see that the understanding of Israel's behavior in the war is decreasing in the last three months.
Israel's security is part of Germany's highest interest and should be cross-party, and there is no doubt that the importance of the matter needs to be explained to the public in a better way."
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