The State of Israel is the fourth most non-peaceful country, dropping one rank from last year due to Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, according to the 2009 Global Peace Index. The new study makes Israel more dangerous than Pakistan, Lebanon, and even Sudan. The only countries ranking lower on the peace index are Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia. The rankings evaluate military capabilities, democracy, equality, crime, the prevalence of weapons, education, foreign relations, and stability. The report states:
“Israel’s low rank reflects its very high levels of militarization as well as the Israel Defence Force’s incursion into Gaza in late December 2008 and very tense relations with neighbouring countries…
Israel: 141st place
Score: 3.035
Despite peace treaties with Egypt in 1982 and with Jordan in 1994, Israel remains in a formal “state of war” with its northern neighbours, Syria and Lebanon, and with much of the Arab world. Relations with Lebanon have been tense since the war in July and August 2006 (known in Israel as the Second Lebanon War and in Lebanon as the July War). The GPI indicator measuring relations with neighbouring countries remains unchanged at “4” on a scale of 1-5; defined as “aggressive, open conflict with violence and protests”. The level of organized internal conflict is recorded as “high”, and unchanged from last year, reflecting continued Israeli/Palestinian tensions that were manifested in sustained rocket attacks from Gaza (controlled by the Islamist group, Hamas, since June 2007) on towns in southern Israel in 2008 and a military offensive in Gaza launched by the Israel Defence Force (IDF) in late December 2008. The IDF’s incursions into Gaza led to the deaths of an estimated 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis by the time both sides agreed unilateral ceasefires on January 18th 2009. Indicators of societal safety and security in Israel present a mixed picture, as last year. On the one hand, the level of violent crime and the number of homicides are low, violent demonstrations are unlikely to occur and the political scene is reasonably stable (becoming slightly more so during 2008). On the other hand, terrorist acts are likely, even though the threat diminished slightly in 2008 and criminality is perceived to be high. Military expenditure in Israel as a percentage of GDP fell in 2008, but at 7.1% it remains among the highest in the world. Despite a drop in the number of armed service personnel per head in 2008, Israel’s score for this indicator remains at the highest possible level (only North Korea comes close). The IDF is highly sophisticated and Israel is a major manufacturer and exporter of arms. Imports of major conventional weapons increased, according to the most recent figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, further contributing to a very high score for Israel’s measures of militarization in the GPI.”
