Practically seven-in-ten residents think dismantling the campus protests and encampments was the correct course of action.
Vancouver, BC [July 15, 2024] – Many British Columbians are dissatisfied with the way the current conflict in Israel and Gaza is affecting Jewish Canadians, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative provincial sample, two thirds of British Columbians (66%) believe that Canadian Jews are being unfairly targeted for what is happening in Israel and Gaza. This includes majorities of residents who voted for the BC New Democratic Party (NDP) (78%), the BC Liberals (77%) and the BC Green Party (55%) in the 2020 provincial election.
Concerns about specific domestic ramifications of the current conflict in Israel and Gaza have increased since a similar Research Co. survey conducted in February.
More than seven-in-ten British Columbians are currently “very concerned” or “moderately concerned” about attacks, including gunfire and firebombs, on synagogues, Jewish schools and businesses (79%), protestors targeting Jewish neighbourhoods and Jewish-owned businesses (76%, +4), rising prejudice against Jewish Canadians (antisemitism) (75%, +6) and aggressive behaviour by Pro-Palestinian Protestors (74%, +4).
“The perception of antisemitism as a significant issue does not vary greatly by political allegiance,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Majorities of British Columbians who voted for the BC New Democratic Party (NDP) (84%), the BC Liberals (81%) and the BC Green Party (64%) in the 2020 provincial election are worried about prejudice rising against Jewish Canadians.”
More than half of British Columbians (57%) are familiar with the protests and encampments that have been happening at college and university campuses in Canada and the United States.
In some cases, protestors barricaded areas of campuses and refused to allow Jewish students and professors to enter or make their way to classes. The encampments were eventually dismantled by police and arrests were made.
Practically seven-in-ten British Columbians (69%) think universities were right to rely on the police to dismantle the protests and encampments, while only 14% believe they were wrong to do so.
Only 41% of British Columbians think police and governments are doing enough to combat antisemitism in their communities. Women (36%) are particularly skeptical of the way the situation has evolved.
Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from June 8 to June 10, 2024, among 1,001 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error, which measures sample variability, is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490
[e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca