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Israel is world`s biggest threat, America second: EU poll
Brussels, Nov 03: Europeans believe Israel poses the biggest threat to world peace, just ahead of the United States which is joint second with North Korea and Iran, according to an EU poll today which sparked Israeli outrage.
Brussels, Nov 03: Europeans believe Israel poses
the biggest threat to world peace, just ahead of the United
States which is joint second with North Korea and Iran,
according to an EU poll today which sparked Israeli outrage.
The result was part of a survey on Europeans'
attitudes in the aftermath of the Iraq war, which also found
notably that more than two-thirds of Europeans think that the
us-led war was not justified.
The European Commission acknowledged that Israel's anger was "legitimate," but otherwise refused further comment, beyond stating that EU policies were not affected by such poll findings.
"I think the reaction was a very legitimate reaction," said spokesman Gerassimos Thomas presenting the results in Brussels. But he added: "it is not our task to interpret each and every survey."
"We don't place excessive emphasis on one poll result," he added.
According to the Eurobarometer poll, based on interviews with 500 people in each of the 15 EU states, some 59 percent of Europeans replied "yes" when asked whether or not Israel presents a threat to peace in the world.
A total of 53 percent said Iran, North Korea and the united states pose a threat, followed by 52 percent for Iraq, 50 percent for Afghanistan and 48 percent for Pakistan.
After that came Syria on 37 percent; Libya on 36 percent; Saudi Arabia on 36 percent; China on 30 percent; India on 22 percent; Russia on 21 percent; Somalia on 16 percent and the EU itself on 8 percent.
Bureau Report
The European Commission acknowledged that Israel's anger was "legitimate," but otherwise refused further comment, beyond stating that EU policies were not affected by such poll findings.
"I think the reaction was a very legitimate reaction," said spokesman Gerassimos Thomas presenting the results in Brussels. But he added: "it is not our task to interpret each and every survey."
"We don't place excessive emphasis on one poll result," he added.
According to the Eurobarometer poll, based on interviews with 500 people in each of the 15 EU states, some 59 percent of Europeans replied "yes" when asked whether or not Israel presents a threat to peace in the world.
A total of 53 percent said Iran, North Korea and the united states pose a threat, followed by 52 percent for Iraq, 50 percent for Afghanistan and 48 percent for Pakistan.
After that came Syria on 37 percent; Libya on 36 percent; Saudi Arabia on 36 percent; China on 30 percent; India on 22 percent; Russia on 21 percent; Somalia on 16 percent and the EU itself on 8 percent.
Bureau Report