a majority probably believe that Israel is much more to blame for the lack of it than the Palestinians. Since European opinion was already running against Israel on other grounds, a coincidence of moral critique and self defence emerges.
what was really measured by the poll. Europe's feeling of vulnerability and its alienation from Israel have been deepened by the difficult situation in Iraq; by the durability of the Sharon government; by the judgment that the Israeli right is likely to stay in power beyond Sharon; and by the American government's feebleness and complicity in Israeli policies.
because Europeans are more frightened about the possible consequences for themselves of events in the Middle East, they are unfairly and unthinkingly putting more of the blame on Israel.Israel, in any case, will have to accept that it is properly subject to the rigorous scrutiny of those who may suffer, as much as Israelis themselves, the bad consequences of their decisions.
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Now Europeans see Israel as a threat to their existence: "because there could be terrorist acts on a new scale, they sense that devastation is indeed a possibility. Shlomo Ben-Ami, a former Israeli minister and peace negotiator, sees that 'Europeans fear a backlash from what happens between us and the Palestinians"