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A report [PDF] published today by the EU's public opinion service Eurobarometer is mainly about European attitudes towards the Iraq war, but it is the last, almost throwaway section that has caused a bit of a furore.
As part of that survey, 7,515 Europeans were asked in October whether Israel, North Korea, Afghanistan, Iran, the US and a slew of other countries constituted a threat to world peace. 59% of Europeans answered Israel was a threat, 53% thought Iran was a threat, 53% thought North Korea a threat, 53% the US, 52% Iraq, 50% Afghanistan, 48% Pakistan, 37% Syria, etc... (8% thought the EU constituted a threat to world peace.)
The Simon Wiesenthal Center has denounced the results thus:
Wiesenthal Center officials reacted to a European Commission poll, which found that almost 60 percent of Europeans say that Israel is a larger threat to world peace than North Korea, Iran or Afghanistan. The survey of approximately 7,500 people across the European Union is scheduled to be made public by the European Commission on Monday.
"This poll is an indication that Europeans have bought in, 'hook, line and sinker', to the vilification and demonization campaign directed against the State of Israel and her supporters by European leaders and media," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, the Wiesenthal Center's founder and dean. "These shocking results that Israel is the greatest threat to world peace, bigger than North Korea and Iran, defies logic and is a racist flight of fancy that only shows that antisemitism is deeply embedded within European society, more then any other period since the end of WWII," he added.
The IHT borrows the phraseology of that press release, hook line and sinker:
PARIS: Almost 60 percent of Europeans say that Israel is a larger threat to world peace than North Korea, Iran or Afghanistan, according to a poll scheduled to be made public Monday by the European Commission.
But that is clearly not what the survey shows. It did not ask "Which country is the greatest threat to world peace?" and then allow only one answer. Instead, Europeans were asked whether each individual country is a threat or not, and many decided most countries are. Also, unfortunately, the question is ambiguous. If by "presents a threat to peace in the world" you mean "whose government's actions are capable of causing instability in the region with global consequences," then even I'd label Israel a threat to world peace, as well as most other countries. If, on the other hand, the phrase means "could conceivably decide to detonate a nuclear device in a war of aggression," I'd put North Korea, India and Pakistan on that list. (And I'd choose Pakistan as the greatest threat to world peace, if I were asked that question.)
So, then, how anti-semitic is Europe? From this survey, I think the best you can say is "somewhat". I base that conclusion on the percentage of Europeans who have managed to convince themselves that Israel is a threat while the likes of Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, etc... are not. Around 10-15% of Europeans seem to think so, and this includes a now sizable minority of Europeans of Arab origin whose approach to Middle Eastern issues remains overly emotional.
(18% think Somalia is a threat to world peace, leading me to believe that what this survey proves is that 18% of Europeans don't have a clue.)
More don't knows seems to correlate with less fear of Israel as a threat to world peace. One wonders if everybody thinks its a threat because they've heard of it. Of course, then there's the question why is violence in Israel more reported than violence elsewhere...
Posted by: Charles on November 3, 2003 06:03 PMI think the Wiesenthal guys are barking up the wrong tree. It is plain as day that the government of Ariel Sharon, unchecked by the USA, is a real shit-stirrer. I can label Israel a threat to peace for its anachronistic colonialism, but does that mean I want to see the nation destroyed, its inhabitants chased out to the sea? Of course not. Does that mean I harbour ill will toward the Jews in my home country or around me? No. Did the survey ask people if they think Jews are conspiring to rule the world by proxy? Nope. Although I'm sure there are genuine anti-Semites in Europe, the Weisenthal response is to brand anyone with a reasonable opinion on a country's foreign policy with the tar of bigotry. Surely there is a bad word for this kind of thinking.
It is about time we stop hiding all issues under the hat of anti-semitism.
If any country or group in the world is liable for their actions the Israelis should also be.
It is a MYTH that all Israelis are jews and all Jews for Israel; just talk to your local naturi karta Orthodox Jewish group and they will tell that they pray continuously for the peaceful end to the state they claim is against God.
and did you know that Arabs are Semites too?
There are a good deal of Israelis and Jews that are against the Israeli government-secret service and army doings. Just look at reports of soldiers and airman refusing to do operations in teh occupied territories stating that it was wrong and immoral.
the Jews have been deceived into going to Palestine by the Zionists (again as naturi karta informs) who in turn live on the jewish blood and benefit from it being shed.
the Israeli government and its think tank are trying to take their war worldwide and encouraging
"clash of civilization" along with the Zionist and similar minded supporters at Washington.
how many UN resolutions where majority of the world says Israel is guilty that were vetoed by the US?
Zionists were declared as a racist bad faction by the UN that was reversed in early 90s was it because the zionists changed their bad ways? No they just got stronger and more influential to the extant that George w. bush declared that the UN denouncing Zionism being something of the past will not be allowed to be repeated.
There is a definite link to mosad with the sep 11 events to at least previous knowledge and being around the perpetrators all the time and could be more. 5israelis at least 2 of which confirmed from mosad were caught filming and celebrating the planes slamming into the wtc buildings. multiple reports of espionage committed by israelis against the us happen all the time and AMDAC's (the xcommunications company majority of its shares owned by Israelis)ability to tap any conversation anywhere in the US including the white house (that is how Clinton is alleged to be caught).
Israel have an arsenal of nuclear missiles and access to the latest american and worldwide technology.
the US spy plane crisis in china in recent years was downed by an Israeli missile that had a technology surpassing that of the multi- billion dollars state of the art plane.
make a search on US liberty naval ship that was deliberately attacked by Israeli air force after being positively identified as the pilot's conversation was taped by a reconnaissance plane.
still the US PRESIDENT did not do anything about it same as current sep 11 events that any mention of Israelís possible connection is suppressed and the fact finding committee is expressing its disappointment for lack of co-operation.
this is not to say that they did it but only a clean investigation that is not doomed before it begins (remember JF KENNEDY'S investigation?) would guarantee the surface of the truth and the finding of who really is that have been codenamed "Al-Qaeda"(as opposed to the story that surface in the first couple of hours and everyone got stuck with).
Knowing that, would anyone doubt that Israel is a threat(to both it's inhabitants and the world)?
Normally, I might just announce that I thought Mr. John Clark Jr. had bought into too many half-witted conspiracy theories. I will, however, take the time to phrase this question: If Mossad is responsible for the 9/11 attacks, why did al-Qaeda admit to doing it? I don't see the two groups working together.
Posted by: Jesse Holmes on July 13, 2004 05:38 AM