[Peace-discuss] Europeans see Israel as #1 threat

[Lisa Chason]

>
>
>
>
> > Israel 'threat' survey sparks ire
> > BBC News, 3/11
> >
> > Senior Israeli figures are divided over the importance of a European
> survey
> > labelling their country the greatest threat to world peace.
> >
> > Nearly 60% of Europeans said yes when asked in a Eurobarometer survey if
> > Israel presents a threat to peace.
> >
> > The survey put Israel ahead of Iran, North Korea and the US, each of
which
> > polled 53%.
> >
> > An EU spokesman said the poll results would not affect European
> > policy-making in the short term.
> >
> > Israeli Minister Natan Sharansky said the results showed the EU engaged
in
> > "rampant brainwashing".
> >
> > "The European Union, which shows sensitivity on human rights issues,
would
> > do well to stop the... demonising of Israel before Europe deteriorates
> once
> > again to dark sections of its past," the Diaspora affairs minister said.
> >
> > But Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom appeared less disturbed by the
> findings.
> >
> > He said the poll findings reflect the greater press coverage of Israel
> than
> > of states such as Iran and North Korea.
> > "There's no comparing the amount of media exposure Israel gets in Europe
> > compared to Iran or North Korea. The images broadcast from here have an
> > impact, but we should not get exerted by it," he told the Israeli daily
> > Haaretz.
> >
> > He said a poll published a month ago suggested Israel's image was
> improving
> > in Europe.
> >
> > "But who cares about such polls?" he asked, saying that negative
findings
> > tended to get greater prominence than positive ones.
> >
> > "One need not dramatise every poll and there's no need for bile," he
said.
> >
> > No policy change
> >
> > An EU spokesman also played down the importance of the survey.
> >
> > "We don't put excessive emphasis on one poll result," the spokesman,
> > Gerassimos Thomas, told the Associated Press, adding that it would not
> > affect EU decision-making.
> > "Policy is defined on the basis of a number of factors and a number of
> > inputs," he said.
> >
> > But the BBC's Tim Franks in Brussels says the findings may reduce
European
> > diplomats' effectiveness in dealing with the Israel-Palestinian conflict
> by
> > heightening Israeli distrust of the EU.
> >
> > The Palestinian Authority was not included in the poll because the EU
does
> > not consider it a country.
> >
> > The survey of 7,515 people in the 15 EU countries was carried out
between
> 8
> > and 16 October.
> >
> > Respondents were asked to say whether or not each country on a list
> > represented a threat to world peace.
> >
> > A THREAT TO PEACE?
> > Israel 59%
> > Iran, North Korea, US 53%
> > Iraq 52%
> > Afghanistan 48%
> > Percentage who replied "Yes" to each country
> >
> >
> >
> >
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