William Molinié, edited by Alexandre Dalifard / Photo credits: ANNA MARGUERITAT / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP
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7:42 a.m., December 18, 2023
According to a study carried out by Ifop among a representative sample of the Muslim population living in mainland France, nearly one in five French Muslims express sympathy for the Hamas organization. A surprising result given that the French average is around 3%.
How do French Muslims view the conflict between Israel and Hamas? From November 21 to 29, Ifop surveyed a representative sample of the Muslim population living in mainland France, and the results were revealed this Monday. Through this survey, we learn that nearly one in five French Muslims (19%) express sympathy for the Hamas terrorist organization.
A difference with the French compatriots
According to this survey, 19% of French Muslims express sympathy for Hamas, while the French average is around 3%. In the ranks of Muslims in France, this sympathy towards Hamas is increasing among the youngest. It rises to 24% among 15-24 year olds and 28% among the most religious Muslims, those who go to the mosque at least once a week.
If the majority of French Muslims judge Hamas’ terrorist attacks negatively, 45% of them see them as resistance actions against colonization. This is four times more than in the entire French population. Another difference with their French compatriots, 62% of Muslims in the territory consider the expression “ethnic cleansing” appropriate to describe Israeli operations in the West Bank. They are only 38% of the general population. Finally, the last lesson is that one in two Muslim voters of Jean-Luc Mélenchon reject the terms “terrorist” or “acts of war” to designate the massacres of October 7.