I took it for granted, given that this is a Washington Post-owned publication.
But it is a good point.

For that matter, it's a little insidious to mention Syria, which was recently invaded by Israel, but not to mention Israel itself.

At least, for the most part, "unfree" here is used to mean a real lack of political rights, rather than some bourgeois dreck about "economic freedom"!

You Israel haters are losing it. Sure Gaza is a terrible place but that would be Hamas' doing. Israel hasn't occupied it since 2005. Syria was not invaded by Israel, South Lebanon was in a brief war in 2005. It's hardly justified to call Israel OR Lebanon unfree. Gaza, on the other, hand is not free. Hamas controls it with an iron fist, kills dissenting members of Fatah, and implements a hardline sharia law. Either way, nothing in that region touches the lack of freedom in the above listed countries/territories.

Then, surely, if the abuses done to Palestinians don't come close to those done to Chinese, or Russians, Hamas isn't all that bad!
Secondly, I believe a land and sea blockade of Gaza constitutes direct actions on Israel's part; call it a "de facto" occupation, but it still amounts to a heavily destructive influence on the area.
Thirdly, I don't hate Israel. I hate what its military and government are doing to the people of Palestine and Israel. The recent reduction of British naval contracts with the Israeli government, in response to the war in Gaza last year, is a good first step in materially denying Israel the supplies it needs to carry out such a massive use of criminal force.

And, just to round things out, no one ever wins a conflict if they keep shooting, unless they're willing to completely destroy their opponent. Israel must sue for peace if they wish to see peace; telling the people that they starve and shoot and club that "we'll stop when you stop" is lunacy.

It explains how the list came down to two criteria: political rights and civil liberties. The rating for Gaza was low, but not one of the absolute lowest. And it's not hard to see why.

Relief organizations usually stay quiet about the oppressive regimes under which they operate, so as not to jeopardize their work. By contrast, UNRWA staff and officials regularly criticize Israel with impunity, because they know they can. And let's not neglect to mention the obvious, which is that the UNRWA even exists.

So yes, Hamas IS that bad... but its effects are mitigated by a sympathetic UN presence.

By the way, Zedweiller, two points. First, sanctions against North Korea and the embargo against Cuba also have their devastating effects, but you will notice that Freedom House does not blame America for the conditions in either country. It's unproductive to condemn such measures without examining why they were created in the first place, and the same applies to Israel and Egypt's blockade of Gaza. And second, Israel's advanced military allows it to fight a more effective war, not a more destructive one. If you want to see how an army with Third World weaponry fights against terrorists, look no further than the 20,000 Tamil civilians killed by Sri Lanka this year.

Israeli occupation of what? Israel? Are you seriously suggesting that Israel should be on the list of one of the most 'unfree' nations? No? Thought not.

What you really mean is that Gaza is a bad place and living there sucks, thanks to (among other things) the Israeli blockade. Fair enough -- but it is a typical overstretch to try to compare North Korea with Israel. When a ridiculous equation like that is made, the argument loses credibility.

Your point of view is that of the fanatic; one who, as Churchill said, can't change his mind, and won't change the subject. Bring up Gaza in the appropriate forum, please.

America is more interested in keeping its hegemony than people from other countries well-being. It is meaningless to debate it. They just want to continue to occupy the moral high ground by condemning other countries and ideologies.

"Fair enough -- but it is a typical overstretch to try to compare North Korea with Israel. "

Why? Did you even make a point?

Oh I'm sorry, Israel means "Good" in your culture. I forgot to decipher your American language.

I think Kashmir should have been included too!

Saudi government may be bad but please do not condemn our religious laws. there is more to the laws than meets the eye. women are respected and given equal freedom in Islam.

lets curb our Islamophobia.

and i hope the above countries see freedom and peace soon.

then Hamas are the Nazi guards who have ruined Gaza and made it almost unliveable. But I do you too much credit even responding to this "death camp" nonsense. Why don't you direct your anger at the Arab states who have encouraged and benefited from this situation, and who refuse to take Gazans? Because it wouldn't fit in with your pre-conceived agenda to make Israel the only villian of your breathless, "death camp" morality play.