The unprecedented prosperity enjoyed by most Greeks during the past decade helped to disguise some sentiments that were never far below the surface: ultra-leftism (including the violent sort which spills over into terrorism), ultra-nationalism and xenophobia.

ECONOMIST: The Greek crisis

With women in Israel presented as underprivileged victims, national religious youth presented as terrorists and the ultra-Orthodox community presented as a gang of misogynist, violent crazies set to transform Israel - in the words of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton - into another Iran, an average news consumer can be forgiven for wondering how he missed his country's demise.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Is Israeli society unraveling?