Over many years, I would keep an eye on the BBC World Service’s semi-regular polls that tracked how selected countries were perceived worldwide. Needless to say, it was a continuous disappointment when Israel appeared near the bottom in the company of states such as Iran, Pakistan and North Korea.
Ten years ago, the BBC poll had Israel with a 52 percent mainly negative rating, only slightly better than Iran in last place.
Today, there are some people celebrating online because Israel is at rock bottom of global perceptions in a new study by Nira Data and the Alliance of Democracies.
This hardly comes as a surprise. It’s been very clear for the past three years that for all of the country’s achievements in a seven-front war, the eighth front – the war over Israel’s legitimacy and public image – has been a failure.
However, given Israel’s long-term problems in this area, it feels like a case of plus ça change.
And if the United States is only ranked slightly higher than Israel among a cluster of non-democratic authoritarian regimes, perhaps all it proves is that the perception is nowhere close to the reality.
Liked this article? Follow HonestReporting on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to see even more posts and videos debunking news bias and smears, as well as other content explaining what’s really going on in Israel and the region. Get updates direct to your phone. Join our WhatsApp and Telegram channels!
© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025
