In Europe, Media Demonisation Of Israel Proves Its Baleful Influence

A beach in Gaza

"The Palestinian population of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has long had some of the highest growth rates in the world, due to a combination of high fertility and low mortality. Although fertility has recently declined, the age structure of the population implies that the brisk population growth will continue over the coming years."

No, that's not a partisan of the Zionist Entity talking.  The words (which convey the truth) are those of the authors of a report produced under the auspices of Fafo, an anti-Israel NGO in Norway, the country whose political elite is arguably the most antisemitic in Europe.  Given those circumstances, I guess there's no better confirmation of the facts than that.

Yet. despite that thriving demographic situation, a belief has taken hold among a significant percentage of Europeans that Israel is engaged in a "war of extermination" against the Palestinian Arabs.

A newly issued survey of 1000 Europeans in each of eight countries (8000 persons in toto), undertaken by the German-based Friedrich Ebert Foundation and entitled Intolerance, Prejudice and Discrimination, shows that about 40 per cent of respondents believe the extermination myth.  The breakdown by country ranges from 63 per cent of respondents in Poland to 38 per cent in Italy.  Other percentages are: Portugal 49, Germany 48, Britain 42, Hungary 41, Holland 39.

For further information about the results of the survey (which also shows attitudes to Muslims, by the way) see here and here.

Clearly, the results relating to Israel indicate that the constant demonisation of Israel in the mass media is having a baleful effect.

The authors note that "the data ... shows antisemitism often appearing in the guise of criticism of Israel" and that

"Antisemitic criticism of Israel comes close to majority support in all European countries.

In that context we also need to discuss whether secondary antisemitism – refusal to acknowledge the crimes of the Holocaust – has taken the place of traditional antisemitism."

The leftwing Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz is to be condemned for the putrid if unwitting part it plays in fuelling all of this, as glimpsed in this example.