ABSTRACT
Israel maintained a positive image and reputation abroad from 1948 to 1967 and during the few periods of constructive negotiations in the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the 1977–1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace process and the 1993–1994 Oslo negotiations. During the 1991 Gulf War, Israel also garnered sympathy in the international community because it refrained from retaliating against Iraqi missile attacks on its major cities. However, since the outbreak the second intifada or the Palestinian-Israeli war (PIW) in September 2000, Israel's reputation abroad has dramatically deteriorated. Israel is the only nation in the world whose right to exist is constantly being challenged, and whose ancient capital, Jerusalem, is unrecognized by all but a few states. Israeli leaders are often compared to leaders of Nazi Germany, and Israeli actions against the Palestinians are often described as Nazi-like policies. Conditions in Israel and the Palestinian territories are often compared with those that existed in apartheid South Africa. The main goal of these comparisons is to demonize, dehumanize and de-egitimize Israel.
