A total of 38% of students at Russell Group universities, a prestigious collection of 24 UK universities, stated that they believe Hamas's October 7 attacks on Israel were an “understandable act of resistance,” according to a poll commissioned by StandWithUs and shared exclusively with the Daily Mail.
The data was collected from 1000 university students across 20 academic institutions.
Despite Hamas terrorists butchering over 1200 people, including British citizens, and committing acts of sexual violence during its rampage through southern Israel, the poll found only one-third of students consider the massacre a terrorist attack.
Amid an increase in UK antisemitism, with some estimates claiming that incidents have risen as much as 1350% in Britain since October 7, 38% of students said those publicly supporting Israel on campus should expect abuse. Only 31% vocally disagreed with this.
Officials express concerns over the poll's findings
A spokesman for the Community Security Trust told the Daily Mail, “The Hamas terror attack on Israel on 7 October was an appalling act of wanton murder, rape, torture and hostage-taking.
“The idea that this was in any way justified or understandable 'resistance' is disgraceful, and the fact that so many university students appear not to grasp this basic fact is deeply worrying. Our universities are failing.”
Edward Isaacs, president of the Union of Jewish Students, also told the source, “Since October 7, we have seen countless calls for intifada, support for Hamas, Houthis, and Hezbollah, and the delegitimization of Jewish students' experiences.”
StandWithUs executive director Isaac Zarfati added, "We are in the midst of a historic surge in antisemitism, highlighting a troubling decline in morals and awareness among students – the future leaders of the Western society."