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GERMANY - Three quarters of Israelis want to be in the European Union and more than a tenth would actually leave Israel for Europe if they were granted EU citizenship, according to an opinion poll published yesterday.
With Germany approved by 67 per cent and now the second most-liked European country among the public after Britain, the poll suggests the attitude of most Israelis to modern Germany is no longer predominantly coloured by World War II and the Holocaust.
At the same time Israelis have a startlingly positive view of the EU given the frequent suspicion of EU policymaking - especially on the Middle East - expressed by elements of the country's political class.
The poll carried out by the German Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation in Jerusalem suggests that German Chancellor Angela Merkel appears to have played a notable part in warming Israelis to Germany - and indeed to Europe as a whole - with 60 per cent saying that her election as its first female head of government has improved her country's image in the world.
The findings show that Israelis over the age of 51 are especially positive about Germany and the EU, with young people still lagging behind in their interest or enthusiasm for Europe.
Dr Lars Haensel, the foundation's representative in Israel said he was "very pleased" that most older Israelis no longer associated modern Germany with "the dark chapter" of its past.
He said: "That chimes with my experience because we do a lot of work with Israeli Jews of German origin and I have never encountered any hostility - quite the reverse."
He added that Jews of German origin had played an especially important part in the reconciliation between the two countries from the 1950s onwards and that the poll showed "how deep the German-Israeli bond is and will help to bring Europe and Israel even closer".
Dr Haensel also said that German commitments to Israeli security had played a part.
Seventy six per cent of Israelis cited foreign policy as a priority in the poll, which suggests the widespread perception of Tony Blair as a friend of Israel may have influenced Britain's 80 per cent approval as the Israelis' favourite European country. But Dr Haensel suggested that widespread use and teaching of English in Israel was also important.
Dr Haensel said he had been surprised by the findings on EU membership since the issue was not even "on the table". The poll suggested that in general European involvement in the stepped up UN Interim Force in Lebanon since the war last year, and the EU provision of monitors on the border between Gaza and Egypt had also influenced the findings.
Surprisingly just over 60 per cent of Israelis cited the perception that the "EU helps the Palestinians" as a positive factor while an even higher proportion cited the EU's belief in the rule of law, belief in human rights and protection of minorities - an issue on which Israel has been itself criticised because of complaints of discrimination by Israeli Arabs - as good reasons for supporting Europe.
The survey showed that among the 11 per cent expressing a preference for leaving for Europe if they had citizenship, the biggest proportion were more recent immigrants with fewer roots in the country.
Israeli Arabs - also surveyed - were less inclined to leave for Europe than Jews.
Easily the most unpopular European country was France which 61 per cent of Israelis said they disliked.
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