Comments by "Scented-leaf Pelargonium" (@scented-leafpelargonium3366) on "Top 10 Rudest Countries." video.

I lived as a chef in Israel for 10 years and the Israelis descibe themselves as "Sabra" which is the prickly pear cactus which grows out there. I found that to be true, as one Israeli friend said to me, "We are prickly on the outside, but soft inside." A false impression can be gained on holiday by their cultural pushiness but they are nice friendly people when you get to know them.
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@Alex_Gordon Yes, it's good to keep an open mind about all peoples and cultures before we pass judgement on what we may have heard from far off sources. Nothing beats going to a place and meeting the people first-hand. I have dear Israeli and Palestinian friends on both sides. The same in my divided country of Northern Ireland. Hatred always spreads faster than love.
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@thesamuraihobbit Well, we still have a wall dividing Catholic & Protestant communities in Belast city centre that has gates that close at night. I gave a talk in a church that was right on what they unrealistically call the "peace line," and it was an uneasy experience still today. Israel is criticised for building walls which gets highlighted in the media, but no one has pulled down the walls dividing Belfast. In history walled, towns, cities and even villages was always for protection from enemies, not necessarily an act of aggression. In Israel they have saved much bloodshed. Northern Ireland has improved a lot since the years of "The Troubles" but it is still quite a divided society with suspicion or mistrust of the "other sort" which affects the areas of politics, religion, culture, historical narratives and even language with Gaelic being politicized.
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@thesamuraihobbit I agree, religion is not important across most of Western Europe, as it is in Great Britain (which is not the same as the UK). However, on the island of Ireland, in the Republic, which is mostly in the south, although some of it is geographically in the north, as in Ulster etc., the Irish population largely distance themselves from organised religion since the scandals of clerical abuse broke most people's trust in the religious authorities, especially among the young. However, in Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, but not part of mainland Britain, there is still a very strong religious controlling opinion over politics in the media that is very much alive. So, yes, Western Europeans mostly do not care, but that is not the case in Northern Ireland, but I think it should be as I have found most religious Christians to be awful examples of humanity.
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