No one likes them, they don't care

Except of course they spend fortunes - millions upon millions - on their image but the product lets them down in a big way. Israel has performed badly in opinion polls for years now but as its behaviour has plumbed depths of depravity so its standing in world has followed in kind. Here's the Financial Times, famously not prone to hyperbole, with the headline Israel dismissive as fury mounts:

Battered by fresh accusations of war crimes during the recent Gaza conflict, Israel’s standing in the world is plunging to fresh lows. Two months after the guns fell silent, international condemnation of its treatment of Palestinian civilians during the military offensive shows no sign of abating.

Outside the country, the latest revelations – most strikingly, a claim that soldiers committed “cold-blooded murder” during the operation – have once again spurred calls for a UN war crimes tribunal.

In Israel itself, however, the response to allegations of war crimes has been both muted and defensive. While Israeli officials have promised to investigate the claims, ministers insist there was nothing wrong with the army’s conduct during the three-week offensive.

Gabi Ashkenazi, the chief of staff of the Israel Defence Forces, led the way on Monday, claiming Israel Defence Forces was “the most humane army in the world”.

Ha ha ha. I know I should cry but I can't. What did that chap in the Independent letters say the other day?

Following Israel's self-appointment as the world's most moral army, may I appoint myself as the world's greatest lover. When after five minutes this claim is questioned and then ridiculed, I will aggressively question your editorial standards and bias.

Ah yes, that was it.