Among the criteria affecting ranking are: Economy, Defense and Foreign Policy • The top ten are US, Russia, and Saudi Arabia • And where is Israel?

• Israel in a respectable place // Photo: Oren Ben Hakon

A new study by the University of Pennsylvania in the United States ranked the 80th most powerful states in the world. The analysis is done according to the examination of economic, defense and foreign policy data.

The report surveyed more than 20,000 people from four different regions around the world. Respondents were asked to associate countries with five different categories: military agreements, international agreements, political influence, economic influence and leadership.

Countries such as the United States, Russia and China are in first place. Israel came in eighth place, overtaking Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

Blue Flag Exercise in the Sky of Israel // Photo: IDF Spokesman

The most encouraging figure in the survey results is that this is the second year in a row that Israel is in eighth place, and apart from South Korea joining the top ten, there is no change in ranking compared to last year.

Israel's foreign ministry also remained indifferent to research, tweeting in its official Twitter account: "New research places Israel in eighth place among the world's strongest countries. Israel ranks alongside powers like the US, Russia, China and the United Kingdom."

New research places Israel in eighth place among the world's strongest countries.
Israel ranks alongside powers like the US, Russia, China and the United Kingdom.
Among the criteria affecting ranking are: Economics, Defense and Foreign Policy https://t.co/bUaZh7JphF https://t.co/bZ8768HNca

- Foreign Office (@IsraelHebrew) December 2, 2019

The Foreign Ministry tweet // from Twitter