Israel 3rd from bottom on Global Peace Index
British Economist ranks 121 countries according to Global Peace Index. Israel rated 119, beating out only Sudan, Iraq. US ranked 96, just ahead of Iran. Compliers say study does not pass judgment on foreign policy or values
Israel is among the least peaceful nations in the world, along with Sudan and Iraq. This according to a study by The Economist intelligence unit. The most peaceful nations in the world are Norway, New Zealand and Denmark.
Some two dozen indicators were factored into the calculations. Among them were wars fought in the last five years, arms sales, political stability, relations with neighboring countries, human rights, overall percentage of state budget devoted to military causes, number of women in parliament, freedom of the press, immigration figures, male-to-female ratio, prison populations and incidence of crime.
Israel received 3,033 negative points. The index awarded 1-5 points for each parameter (1 being the most peaceful).
Israel received 4-5 points on the following – number of citizens serving in the military, relations with neighboring counties, military spenditure and potential terror attacks within the country. The index awarded Israel 1 point only for the number of refugees it plays host to and non-UN deployments this past year.
Israel's neighbors fared much better: Jordan ranked 63, Egypt – 73, Syria – 77 and Lebanon ranked 114.
Norway was rated as the country most at peace, followed by New Zealand, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Finland, Sweden, Canada, Portugal and Austria. Iraq was in last place, followed by Sudan, Israel, Russia, Nigeria, Colombia, Pakistan, Lebanon, Cote d' Ivoire and Angola.
The United States outranked Iran by only one spot, coming in at 96 and 97, respectively.
''The United States suffers because it is the world's policeman, with high levels of militarization,'' said Andrew Williamson, director for economic research, in an interview.
The data were drawn from the United Nations, the World Bank, peace groups and the intelligence unit's own assessments, Williamson said.
''We are just mechanics and technicians behind the index,'' he said, ''we are not making judgments about foreign policy."
''The United States arguably has kept the peace since 1945, but with a high level of defense spending,''
Leo Abruzzese, an editorial director for the intelligence unit, said at a news conference at which the report was released. ''It is not a value judgment,'' he said of the global rankings.
The study was financed by Steve Killelea, an Australian entrepreneur and philanthropist.
