'Israel's influence as bad as Iran's'

Israel and Iran have received the lowest ratings for the second year running, in a BBC poll of attitudes across the globe toward various countries.

Nevertheless, negative views of Israel declined over the past year.
Published on Wednesday, the BBC World Service poll asked people to rate Brazil, Britain, China, France, Germany, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the US and the European Union as having a mainly positive or negative influence in the world.

Negative views of Israel fell over the past year from 57 percent, to 52%, while negative views of Iran's influence held steady at 54%, giving it the worst rating of the countries tested. Pakistan followed Israel with the third worst rating.


Lorna Fitzsimons, chief executive of the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre, said: "BICOM's polling in the UK suggests that people often think of Israel in a negative capacity, as it is often referred to among the 'bad boys' in the region, such as Iran, Hizbullah and Hamas. When Israel is referred to next to countries that people 'perceive' to be moderate, such as Jordan and Syria, they think better of Israel.


"This BBC poll shows that viewers don't really understand the core issues within the Middle East conflict, even after watching BBC coverage. Israel has a big challenge. People have such a limited time to digest news - never mind foreign news - that they build up perceptions based on a snapshot. When Israel is only referred to in terms of conflict, this only exacerbates the problem."


The proportion of those with a positive view of Israel remained stable at 19%. Nineteen of the countries polled had a negative view of Israel, two leaned to the positive - Kenya and Mexico - and three were divided.


Negative views of Israel decreased significantly in five countries in Europe and Latin America. Those with a negative view of the Jewish state fell in France from 66%, to 52%; in Germany from 77%, to 64%; in Brazil from 72%, to 57%, and in Chile from 57% to 43%.


In two countries, a positive evaluation of Israel increased to become the most common view. In Kenya, 45% now see Israel's influence as mainly positive, up from 38% a year earlier. In Mexico, 31% now have a predominantly positive view of Israel, up from 25%, and 23% have a negative evaluation, down from 31%.


Israel's stock also rose in two Muslim countries. Negative views declined in the United Arab Emirates, from 73% last year to 58%, and in Turkey, positive views rose from 2%, to 11%.
In Lebanon, negative evaluations increased from 85%, to 94%, and in Egypt, from 78% to 87%.
Negative views also increased among Americans, from 33% to 39%. Canadians had significantly fewer positive views than a year earlier, down from 27% to 15%.


Spain and Japan, polled for the first time this year, reported negative views of Israel, at 64% and 55%, respectively.
Positive evaluations of Israel among Nigerians declined, from 45% to 36%, and negative views increased to 38%,from 31%. Ghanaians reported 30% positive and 32% negative views.


After years of decline, views of the US have begun to improve, and while views of US influence in the world were still predominantly negative, they improved in 11 of the 23 countries surveyed both this year and last.


Japan had the best rating for the second year, but Germany, included in the ratings for the first time, comes a close second. The European Union came in third.
Russia improved the most, with positive views of the country rising from from 29% to 37% and negative views falling from 40% to 33%.


The poll was based on 17,457 interviews conducted in 34 countries between October 2007 and January 2008, and conducted by Toronto- and London-based Globescan together with the program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland.

Queen welcomes Sarkozy as nude pic of wife surfaces

Last Updated: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 | 12:09 PM ET Comments17Recommend22

CBC News

The wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy has taken some of the spotlight off her husband's first state visit to Britain after it was revealed that a nude picture of her is to be auctioned next month.

Sarkozy's office has declined comment about the black and white photo of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, a former model, saying it's a private matter.

A copy of the nude image of Carla Bruni as it appeared in Wednesday's Daily Mail newspaper.
(CBC)

The picture, taken in 1993, is expected to fetch between $3,000 and $4,000 in an April 10 sale at New York's Rockefeller Plaza, according to Christie's auction house. It was taken by photographer Michel Comte.

News of the picture comes as Sarkozy arrived in the United Kingdom for the first state visit to Britain by a French president in 12 years.

Sarkozy was welcomed by Queen Elizabeth amid pomp and ceremony in front of Windsor castle.

Sarkozy is hoping the visit will help boost his image. He has drawn some criticism over his romance and marriage to Bruni-Sarkozy.

He will hold talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and address members of both houses of Parliament.

French-British "Brotherhood" Could Marginalize Germany

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Sarkozy said the Paris-Berlin axis was no longer enough to keep the EU running

As Great Britain bestows special honors upon French President Nicolas Sarkozy during his visit to London, some in Berlin wonder if Germany is being pushed to the European fringe.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown declared a new era of cooperation between their countries on Wednesday, March 26, as Sarkozy began a two-day state visit.

Addressing both houses of the British parliament, Sarkozy said the two nations should strive jointly to give their considerable influence maximum impact on world affairs, in a way similar to French and German friendship remaining a European Union "locomotive."

Sarkozy also called for closer cooperation between Britain and France in the nuclear technology and military fields, including Afghanistan, where France intended to increase its support.

French pledge added military support to Afghanistan

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: French pledges to boost troop numbers in Afghanistan could put pressure Germany

Declaring that "we cannot afford to lose Afghanistan, that the Taliban and al Qaeda return to Kabul," Sarkozy said France would announce at the forthcoming NATO summit in Bucharest its intention to increase its troop strength.

"France has proposed to its allies in the Atlantic alliance a coherent and comprehensive strategy to allow the Afghan people and their legitimate government to build peace," Sarkozy said. "If these proposals are accepted, France will propose at the Bucharest summit strengthening its military presence."

Although he gave no figure, diplomatic sources said the French troop contingent in Afghanistan was expected to be increased by more than 1,000 from the 1,600 currently stationed there.

The French move would come as NATO members with troops in southern Afghanistan call on Berlin to increase the number of soldiers deployed to the country and remove restrictions that keep the Bundeswehr in Afghanistan's relatively safer northern region.

Paris-Berlin axis not sufficient for EU

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: The EU needs more than Merkel and Sarkozy's partnership can offer

Some political analysts have said the French president is reaching out to Brown because he does not get on well with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Berlin and Paris traditionally dominate the European Union.

In an interview with the BBC before the trip, Sarkozy, who is scheduled to take over the European Council presidency in three months, said France's European policies would now longer be "reduced to friendship with Germany." He added that "the Paris-Berlin axis is fundamental but not sufficient."

Brown for his part told parliament that Paris and London were pursuing a "joint agenda for the future." His talks with Sarkozy scheduled for Thursday would include increased cooperation in the energy, security, environmental protection and economic sectors.

Replying to questions from the lower house, Brown also stressed that while France a key ally, the United States remained "Britain's closest ally" and "most important partner."

Knightly honors for Sarkozy

Prince Charles and wife Camilla welcomed Sarkozy and his wife, Carla, at London's Heathrow Airport before a banquet with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Sarkozy's wife, Carla, was praised for her elegance and taste by the British press

Sarkozy was made an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, the highest rank of one of the oldest orders of British chivalry whose previous recipients include world leaders, including his predecessor Francois Mitterand.

The French leader -- on what is the first by a French head of state in 12 years -- had already called for Britain and France to work "hand in glove" on issues like illegal immigration and terrorism, and to forge "a new Franco-British brotherhood."

Ahead of the visit, Sarkozy called for closer Franco-British ties, telling British broadcaster BBC that both countries should perhaps "move from being cordial to being friendly."

French-British ties under Sarkozy and Brown's predecessors, Jacques Chirac and Tony Blair, were fraught as a result of the Iraq war.

"It has been long enough now that we have not been at war, that we are not wrangling," Sarkozy said.

Old acquaintances

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Sarkozy and Brown began working as their countries' finance ministers

Sarkozy said the friendship between Britain and France "shouldn't simply be a matter of principle," but one that is "fleshed out by concrete projects on the economy, immigration, security, defense."

Brown said in an interview published Wednesday in the French daily Le Monde that Britain and France will work "hand in hand" to reform international institutions such as the United Nations.

Brown said that he and Sarkozy had worked together for years, when they were both finance ministers, "and we have the same vision of a globalized world."

"France and Britain can therefore work hand in hand with common interests and shared values," Brown said. "This is the case, and you will see it in the coming weeks, of the reform of international institutions created in 1945: the UN, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund."

These organizations, Brown said, "no longer correspond to the challenges of 2008."