Britannia Radio

Poll: Corruption is rife in Israel  Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:17:44 GMT

A vast majority of Israeli public believe the Israeli regime's leaders are rife with corruption, a corruption index poll has revealed.  The poll taken ahead of the Israel-Sderot Conference on Social Issues showed political parties were viewed as most corrupt bodies in Israel.  Seventy-two percent of the Israeli public rated the general level of corruption in the Israeli government as "high to very high", the poll published on Tuesday said.  It showed that only 1% of the public rated the corruption level as "low to very low," compared to 9% in 2007.  According to the survey the institutions that are perceived as the most corrupt are the Knesset, government ministries and political parties.  Among the institutions perceived as having a low level of corruption are the Israeli military, the judicial system, the healthcare system, the National Insurance Institute, and banks, Ha'aretz reported.  The President of the Sderot Conference for Society, Maj. Gen. (retired) Uzi Dayan, said that, "the survey shows that governmental corruption is the most prominent enemy of the public."  "The overwhelming majority says that the corruption is the primary factor preventing them from taking pride in their country," Ha'aretz quoted him as saying.  He said that the Israeli public has learned that corruption is not a "victimless crime," and that there is a direct correlation between the election of unfit representatives and the neglect of society.  MSH/MT/RA