A majority of people surveyed by YouGov believe the UK should oppose Trump’ proposal to displace Palestinians from Gaza [Getty]
A recent YouGov poll has revealed there is significant backlash and opposition from the British public against US President Donald Trump’s proposal to forcibly displace Palestinians in Gaza to other neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Egypt.
The survey, commissioned by Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and the Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), found that 73 percent of the respondents believe the UK government should oppose the controversial plan.
It comes as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Washington today for a meeting with Trump in the White House, where Gaza talks are likely to be on the agenda.
The poll, conducted between 23-24 February, shows that only nine percent of those surveyed back the proposal, which has garnered global condemnation from activists and rights groups.
About 18 percent of respondents were undecided, and among those who voted for Labour in the 2024 general election, 84 percent opposed the plan.
Trump’s Gaza displacement plan
Trump’s Gaza plan entails a US-led redevelopment project in the enclave, to transform it into what the Republican president describes as “the riviera of the Middle East.”
Human rights advocates, however, argue that this would amount to forced displacement and ethnic cleansing, violating international law.
Chris Doyle, Director of CAABU, called for the UK to explicitly reject any such plans, saying: “Whilst the British government has said that Palestinians should not be forced from Gaza, it needs the Prime Minister to make this clear in no uncertain terms directly to President Trump.
“A failure to speak out against ethnic cleansing sends a very dangerous message. Any such move would undermine regional security, which is against US interests but also a threat to stability, including Israel’s. Gaza does need to be rebuilt, but for Palestinians under their direction.”
Rohan Talbot, Director of Advocacy and Campaigns at MAP also added that the “dangerous” proposals would threaten the fragile truce deal and “the long-term health, dignity and freedom of Palestinians”.
He said: “The UK must unequivocally condemn these proposals, and outline what steps it is taking to prevent ethnic cleansing and ensure Palestinians can return to and rebuild their homes.”
The survey also revealed a lack of clarity among the British public regarding the UK government’s stance on the occupied Palestinian territories. Around 63 percent of respondents believe the government lacked a clear policy, while only 12 percent felt it was well-defined.
Keir Starmer has recently distanced the UK from Trump’s plan, claiming that Palestinians should be allowed to return to their homes.
During a Prime Minister’s Question in the House of Commons on 5 February, he registered his comments calling for displaced Palestinians to be able to return to their homes. “They must be allowed home,” he told MPs. “They must be allowed to rebuild, and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two-state solution.”
But Israel’s war on Gaza remains a hot-button for the centre-left Labour administration, which has been accused of banning Palestinians who have evacuated from Gaza entry into the UK, after branding a legal provision that allowed a Palestinian family to seek refuge in Britain as a “loophole”.
The PM has also been recently slammed by humanitarian charities over his decision to cut the international aid budget to boost defence spending. United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said the British aid cut would “undoubtedly risk lives”. Oxfam has further accused Starmer of “bending to populist pressures”.
