Brussels, 03/11/2003 (Agence Europe) - A majority of Europeans (59%) feel that Israel represents the biggest threat to world peace. This is one of the most significant conclusions from the Eurobarometer Flash N° 151 study that the European Commission has just published in full. An embarrassing conclusion for the EU to the extent that it has already caused many indignant reactions from Israeli authorities. On Monday, the Commission prudently refused to comment over this result. Another surprise revealed by the opinion poll: Europeans award the second place, in the 'chart' of countries representing a real threat to peace, to the United States (sharing second place with North Korea and Iran). Both classified as 'axis of evil' countries by United States President George Bush.
For 59% of Europeans, the Israeli state represents a threat for world peace. In the Netherlands they are 74% and in Austria 69% to believe so. Only Italy is the exception to the rule with an opinion divided over the issue. In fact 48% of Italians see Israel as a serious threat to peace and 46% disagree. The Israeli authorities denounced the results of this opinion poll even before its publication, though without lodging an official complaint. On Sunday the Israeli Minister for social and Diaspora affairs, Nathan Sharansky, told the daily Yediot Aharonot, that the EU, which has shown its sensitivity toward human rights issues, should end the brain washing aimed at demonising Israel before Europe once more falls back into its dark past. In a meeting published in Rome by Il Messagero, Ehud Gol, Israeli Ambassador to Italy, felt for his part that the opinion poll was undertaken in the aim of denigrating his country. In Brussels, the Deputy European Commission spokesperson Gerassimos Thomas, submitted to a barrage of questions from the press, refused to make the slightest comment, indicating that there will be no specific political reaction. It is not our job to interpret each opinion poll, he said, while adding that this opinion is what it is. It is transparent and we publish it; that is it. Last week the Commission, which had already published more of the results from Eurobarometer Flash 151 (see EUROPE of 28 October, p. 6), was accused by journalists of having failed to publish the most sensitive results - those concerning the answers to the question 'does this country represent a threat to world peace?' - in order not to influence the donor conference for Iraq in Madrid. The Spanish daily El Pais published these results on Thursday.
The second surprising element revealed by the opinion poll is that a majority (53%) of Europeans questioned consider the United States to be a threat to world peace, a feeling shared by the most loyal Washington allies in Iraq: 61% of Spaniards and 55% of British. As for the Greeks, 88% agree with this opinion. Only the Germans and Italians disagree with a respective 45% and 43% answering positively to the questions of 'does this country represent a threat to world peace?' It should be noted that the United States shares the second place of countries representing a threat with North Korea and Iran. Following Iraq, seen as a threat by 52% of those polled, are Afghanistan (50%), Pakistan (48%), Syria (37%), Libya (36%), Saudi Arabia (36%), China (30%), India (22%), Russia (21%), Somalia (16%) and the European Union (8%).
The main conclusions drawn from the poll, which for the most part were presented in an article last week (see above), are as follows: 1) 68% of citizens feel the United States and allied intervention in Iraq was unjustified; 2) most Europeans feel that the United Nations should play a core role in the reconstruction of Iraq, the security of the country and its transition towards a sovereign Iraqi government; 3) 65% of those polled feel that its is for the United States to finance the reconstruction of Iraq, but a majority of them are nevertheless favourable to their country's financial participation in the effort; 4) 82% of citizens favour increasing humanitarian aid to Iraq; 5) 81% think that the EU should play a greater role in the Middle East peace process; 6) 55% feel that the terrorist threat remains strong in their country. Those most concerned are the British (76%) and Spanish (76%).
Gianfranco Dell'Alba calls for Romano Prodi to explain himself to European Parliament
On behalf of Radical European parliamentarians the MEP Gianfranco Dell'Alba is indignant and called for President Prodi to make a declaration, on the this poll according to which Israel and the United States threaten peace 'to the same extent as Iran and North Korea, during the opening of the European Parliament plenary, on Wednesday afternoon in Brussels. The MEP from the Lista Bonino reproached this opinion poll for not citing the Palestinian Authority, Islamic terrorists and South American narco-terrorist movements among the threats to peace or particularly virtuous countries such as Cuba, Vietnam or Laos. The Commission, adds Mr Dell'Alba, is ferociously loyal to policies, which make it finance to the tune of hundred of millions of euros per year the coffers of the Palestinian Authority without asking where this money goes.