Unloved
Aussie Dave | Jan 04, 2005 | 5 comments
A survey carried out for the British Telegraph, asking Britons to rate almost two-dozen countries on the basis of 12 different criteria, has revealed that Britons do not think much of Israel.
More surprising is how little regard Britons are found to have for Israel.The violence and Israel’s continuing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza appear to have done immense damage to its standing. Israel comes top of the list of countries where people would least like to live and would least like to take a holiday.It is also the country thought least deserving of international respect. Despite being the only fully democratic state in the Middle East, it is also thought to be among the world’s “least democratic countries”.Of the 12 criteria set out in YouGov’s check-list, Israel comes out bottom in four cases and among the bottom five in a total of eight. Only Russia has a worse overall score.Britons clearly regard Israel and Russia in the same dim light that H L Mencken regarded Mississippi.
As pointed out by Backspin, it is the biased media coverage which has caused the damage to Israel’s reputation, not the violence or “occupation” itself. So the Telegraph should not be too “surprised” at all.
What can I say? It is a shame that many Britons believe everything they hear – they are truly missing out on one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
Oh..and suffer in ya jocks.*
* Australian slang for “serves you right”
About the Author
An Australian immigrant to Israel, Aussie Dave has been blogging since early 2003.Filed Under: General
Check out this moron in California who simply states “I second this” when linking the same information (Britons rank Israel ‘worst country’).
I was going to take up the battle by asking if he had ever even been to Israel, but the answer was obvious and I was in no mood to try an educate an idiot.
Israel the least beautiful country??? What the hell. This is obviously said by people who have never been. Israel is so beautiful and I dont say that just cuz I am bias. I have toured the whole country and discovered all the places people don’t often see on the postcards of Israel that are absolutely spectacular. Sure, it’s a small country, but it has so many wonders. And not to mention it is where Jerusalem, one of the most majestic cities in the world is located!
Israel is at least as beautiful as Australia (where I’m from) and likewise for NZ where I am at the moment ‘ for me, no place neither Uluru nor Milford Sound has a sense of presence quite like Masada for example. Only people who have actually been to the countries listed should have been polled. Whole things’ pathetic.
interesting… since I posted that link the blog seems to have disappeared..
No such luck. The blog is still there, so we can expect more pearls of wisdom from bugalugs in the future. He just seems to have deleted the offending post, being the courageous guy that he is.