The State of Israel is again placed last in the Anholt Nation Brands Index devised by branding expert Simon Anholt. The index has been published since 2005. Israel was bottom in last year’s index as well, but this year its score fell by 6.1%. In first place was Japan, followed by Germany, Canada, Italy, and Switzerland. The US is in fourteenth place, dropping out of the top ten most admired countries for the first time, with Spain replacing it.
The index is based on responses from some 40,000 interviewees in twenty countries, covering 70% of the world’s population and 80% of its economy. The survey examines attitudes towards and perceptions of 50 countries in six categories: Exports (quality, innovation, and perception of goods/services); Governance (competence, fairness, political stability, and security); Culture (richness in arts, heritage, film, music, and sports); People (friendliness, industriousness, openness, and trustworthiness of residents); Tourism (interest in visiting, natural beauty, and architectural appeal); and Immigration & Investment (attractiveness for study, work, living, and business investment).
Israel was included in the index for the first time a year ago, in collaboration with Motti Scherf’s BrandIL. Unlike last year, this year it is not just the State of Israel that comes in for criticism, but also Israelis, who are perceived as directly responsible for events in the Gaza Strip and have become persona non grata in the eyes of many. Members of Generation Z, particularly young people in Western countries, see Israel as a symbol of colonialism, poisonous, and removed from liberal values, and the distinction between government policy and the range of views of the country’s citizens has been erased.
In response to the findings of the study, BrandIL devised an innovative and effective model for changing Israel’s standing, called DARE. It consists of a long-term strategic financial and technological initiative designed to restore Israel’s sovereignty over its brand and its global identity.
Among other things, the model calls for setting up a global investment bank, and an artificial intelligence system that will monitor and analyze in real time lobal anti-Israel trends and provide an effective response. It will also aid in building alliances with audiences overseas, especially Generation Z, centering on a joint narrative about the future and connecting Israel to focal points of growth in matters such as sustainability and innovation.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on December 25, 2025.
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