Nearly half of British people think the UK is unsafe for Jewish people in the wake of the Heaton Park synagogue attack, a major new study has found.
Fears about anti-Semitism have also increased since the attack, with six in 10 people saying they are concerned about its rise during the Middle East conflict.
Alongside this, the public’s patience for protest marches is also wearing thin with two thirds of people saying the most disruptive should be banned.
Research on the UK’s attitudes to the war in Gaza by think tank More in Common reveals a worrying polarisation of the country’s opinions.
It found that 44per cent say the UK is a mostly or very unsafe place for Jewish people following the war, the synagogue attack and the Maccabi Tel Aviv football game.
The figure is the highest level ever recorded by the think tank which found that many Jewish people were changing their behaviour by not wearing religious symbols to stay safe.
It also found that the public is growing tired of disruptive protests over the conflict in the wake of rallies in support of the proscribed organisation Palestine Action.
Two-thirds (67per cent) of people agreed that some protests were so disruptive that they should not be allowed.
Pro-Palestinian groups protest outside Villa Park in Birmingham as Israeli football team Maccabi Tel Aviv faced Aston Villa
The researchers said: ‘Public patience for protest is wearing thin. Two-thirds of Britons now believe some protests are too disruptive to be allowed, with sustained demonstrations over Gaza contributing to broader backlash against activist movements.’
It also found people are more worried about the risk of radical Islamist extremism increasing in the UK than they were compared to October 2023.
The public takes a dim view of musicians and celebrities speaking out about Israel and Palestine, it reveals.
A majority (64per cent) said they would not like to hear a musician saying ‘death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]’ as Bob Vylan notoriously did at Glastonbury.
Most wanted artists to keep politics out of music altogether with very few wanting to hear their opinions and violent rhetoric.
The survey also showed how deeply the war has divided the British public, with those on each side judging the other side.
Some 27 per cent of Britons would think worse of someone for going to a pro-Palestine march, while 30 per cent would think worse of someone for going to a pro-Israel march.
It found that three-quarters people are not comfortable talking about Israel and Palestine on social media with some saying they would consider ending friendships over the issue.
The polling suggested that while most people do not take a side in the conflict, people with strong views have become more entrenched in the two years since the October 7 attacks.
Of those who do have strong views, many have become ‘more negative about those with opposing views’ in the past few years, researchers said.
Luke Tryl, director of More in Common UK, warned that ‘divisions over the conflict have seriously strained trust in Britain’s media organisations, institutions and politicians’.
‘The Government, civil society and those most engaged in the conflict need to do more to find ways out of the growing cycle of polarisation that risks inflicting lasting scars on social cohesion in the UK,’ he said.
More in Common carried out three surveys of around 2,000 adults each in October across Britain.