The Battle for Public Opinion in Europe is a timely, revealing and important book which highlights the incongruity between European public opinion and perceptions of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the levels of blind political, economic and cultural support European governments afford the state of Israel.
Pivotal events in recent years such as the Gaza War (2008/9) have allowed increasing numbers of Europeans to see through mainstream media and government smokescreens regarding the conflict. In 2011 a pioneering study was commissioned to gauge actual changes in public perceptions of the conflict in six European countries. 'The Battle for Public Opinion' analyses and contextualizes the results of that study. With contributions from international experts and specialists in their field, including Ilan Pappe, Tim Llewellyn and Maria Holt, it brings credible and unique insights to bear on how and why public opinion in Europe should be, and is, changing. It provides a clear backdrop to the pertinent issues and addresses the consequences that these changes might be expected to have on European policy-making as well as providing forward-looking thoughts and recommendations for action.
It is hoped that results of the survey and the book will persuade policy and decision makers, as well as the media, to take more account of the evolving views among the populations they serve. Moreover, it is hoped that they will examine more closely how they might further a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and thereby diminish the ugly and destabilising phenomena of anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim attitudes in Europe.
