Brits think that Israel is the worst country in the world. Imagine how bad it must be. Worse than North Korea. Worse than Zimbabwe or, for that matter, every country in Africa. Worse than Syria.

Simply amazing. The BBC has done its propaganda job well.

[Update a few minutes later]

It's not quite as bad as I thought--it was an on-line survey. Still it amazes me that anyone can have such a stupid opinion.

[Update on Wednesday morning]

Melanie Phillips has a more comprehensive explanation:

Britain is gripped by an unprecedented degree of irrationality, prejudice and hysteria over the issues of Iraq, the terrorist jihad and Israel. All three are intimately linked; all three, however, are thought by public opinion to be linked in precisely the wrong way. This is because all three have been systematically misreported, distorted and misrepresented through a lethal combination of profound ignorance, political malice and ancient prejudices.

This systematic abuse by the media is having a devastating impact in weakening the ability of the west to defend itself against the unprecedented mortal threat that it faces from the Islamic jihad. People cannot and will not fight if they don’t understand the nature or gravity of the threat that they face, so much so that they vilify their own leaders while sanitising those who would harm them.

If you're going to ask a stupid, slightly politically-charged question, you're going to get a lot of stupid politically charged answers.

I find it hard to believe that Egypt can rank above Israel in any measure... but then, I've never been to Egypt. I've lived in Israel, and love Israel, but ranking it next to New Zealand?

I'm sure New Zealand is friendlier and -- if Peter Jackson is to be believed -- boasts better views. Israel probably has higher quality kosher food. I much prefer Israeli weather to that of New York City, but I would imagine it's even nicer in New Zealand right now -- and the day is longer.

I guess the question really is, which country is most likely to have hucksters promoting spurious "polls"? England seems determined to give the U.S. a run for its money.

Rand every day you amaze me with the stupid opinions you express. So why should you be surprised there are other people in the world with stupid opinions, when you are so fond of expressing so many stupid opinions yourself.

If you think Rand's opinions are "stupid," Joe, perhaps you could explain why you come here every day.

Perhaps you're a very slow learner?

I don't think Rand is the stupid one here.

Don't feed the sheep fuc%^r Barbara! He just has his panties in a wad because hs isn't meeting his sheep shirking quota for today. It's the effects that old occupational hazard, syphallus, is having on partisan hack joes brain.

I'd hoped that the Brits, our fellow inhabitants in the anglosphere, might resist the rampant ignorance and naivete of the Continent, but my hopes may have been too high. I expect such arrogant fantasy from Western Europeans, what with their insular uninformed worldview. Too bad the Brits have also been infected with the same brain damage as the rest of Western Europe.

- Eric.

Did anybody actually read what the percentages were and how mixed the results were?

Or are we just reacting on instinct these days? This had push poll written all over it. It's effectively worthless for anything.

Israel?!?!?!?!?!
Ah, you mean Palestina!

Israel?!?!?!?!?!
Ah, you mean Palestina!