According to the results of a new survey, almost half of Britons wish that the UK either restrict or completely prohibit the entry of Israeli citizens onto its territory. Israelis ranked second among the least desirable migrant groups in Britain, behind Russians.
The survey, conducted by YouGov last week, revealed that Pakistanis, Indians, Turks, Egyptians, and Nigerians are more popular among the British public, although all these groups are also considered relatively unpopular.
Only one in twenty Britons supports an increase in the number of Israelis in the country; meanwhile, 23 percent believe the country should admit fewer Israelis, and 24 percent advocate for a complete ban on their entry.
Furthermore, only 24 percent of Britons think the current number of Israelis in the country is acceptable, while 23 percent replied that they do not know.
In comparison, 34 percent of Britons stated that no Russian migrants should enter Britain, and 15 percent were against Indian immigration.
Immigration from Ireland proved to be the most popular among Britons, as 23 percent support an increase in such migrants. Citizens of Canada, Australia, Sweden, and Germany are also relatively popular, but the study noted a general rise in anti-immigration sentiment compared to a similar survey in 2016.
This survey comes amid the British government's preparations to announce a number of new political measures regarding Israel in September. These measures include a ban on goods from illegal Israeli settlements, as reported by Middle East Eye last week.
Relations between these historical allies have reached their lowest point. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to Britain as an 'Islamic republic' during an interview.
Netanyahu expressed dissatisfaction with the disappearance of favorable coverage of Israel in Britain, which existed during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. He stated: 'Try to find that now in Britain, which can be called the Islamic Republic of Britain.'
When asked by the interviewer, 'Isn't all of Europe like that?', Netanyahu countered, 'Yes, but you know, someone said that the first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons would be the Islamic Republic of Britain.'
It was noted that Britain is a monarchy, not a republic, and the first 'Islamic republic' with nuclear weapons was actually the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
In response to this criticism, Downing Street responded this week, and Prime Minister Andy Burnham's representative condemned the remarks as 'absolutely unacceptable.'
Public opinion in Britain is steadily becoming harsher towards Israel. A YouGov survey in June last year showed that 55 percent of the population opposed Israel's actions in Gaza, while only 15 percent supported them.
Of these 55 percent, the vast majority, specifically 82 percent, believed that Israel was committing genocide. The survey also found that nearly two-thirds of Britons (65 percent) wanted the UK to issue an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Netanyahu if he visited Britain.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the UK Foreign Office is considering introducing new sanctions against individuals and organizations involved in the settlement movement in occupied West Bank. Furthermore, the government discussed the possibility of imposing sanctions on a larger number of Israeli ministers after sanctions were imposed last year on far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.