15 Percent of Americans Hold "Strong" Anti-Semitic Beliefs
We don't want to see it. We don't want to hear it. We don't want to believe it. But the fact is that Anti-Semitic beliefs endure in America.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) - the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry - has announced that 15% of Americans hold views about Jews that are "unquestionably anti-Semitic.?
The ADL's October 2007 national telephone survey of 2,000 American adults, The 2007 Survey of American Attitudes Towards Jews in America, found that nearly 35 million adults in America believe in anti-Jewish stereotypes.
Anti-Semitism in America
"What concerns us is that the successes we had seen moving toward a more tolerant and accepting America appear not to have taken hold as firmly as we had hoped," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "These findings, coupled with the ongoing acts of anti-Semitic incidents and hate crimes, suggest that anti-Semitic beliefs endure and resonate with a substantial segment of the population, nearly 35 million people."
According to surveys done by the ADL, the decline in the percentage of Americans with anti-Semitic beliefs that took place in the 1990's did not continue in the first decade of the 21st century.
- 1992: 20% of Americans hold anti-Semitic beliefs
- 1998: 12% of Americans hold anti-Semitic beliefs
- 2005: 14% of Americans hold anti-Semitic beliefs
- 2007: 15% of Americans hold anti-Semitic beliefs
Jewish stereotypes center on beliefs about loyalty, the death of Jesus and power:
- 31% of Americans believe Jews are more loyal to Israel than America.
- 27% of Americans believe Jews were responsible for the death of Christ.
- 15% of Americans believe that Jews have "Too much power in the U.S."
- 20% of Americans believe Jews have "Too much power in the business world."
- 18% of Americans believe Jews have "Too much control/influence on Wall Street.
29% of foreign-born Hispanics living in America hold hardcore anti-Semitic beliefs, as opposed to 15% of Hispanics born in the U.S.
32% of African-Americans hold strong anti-Semitic beliefs, which is three times more than the 10% for whites.
21% of those with a high school degree or less hold strong anti-Semitic views, compared to 10% of college graduates and 8% of those who hold post-graduate degrees.
18% of men hold strong anti-Semitic views, compared to 13% of women.
Pro-Jewish Stereotypes
The survey also found that a majority of Americans hold positive stereotypes about Jews, especially concerning ethics and family:
- 55% of Americans believe that Jews have a "special commitment to social justice and civil rights."
- 65% of Americans agree that Jews "contributed much to the cultural life of America."
- 79% of American Jews see as positive Jewish "emphasis on the importance of family life."
Anti-Semitic attitudes held by Americans differ from those held by Europeans, polled earlier in 2007 by the ADL.
ADL found that approximately half of the Europeans surveyed believe Jews are not loyal to their country and more than one-third believe that Jews have too much power in business and finance.
Furthermore, a large number of Europeans believe the classical anti-Semitic canards that have persistently pursued Jews through the centuries. In contrast, these classical anti-Semitic canards have been rejected by most Americans.
How to Fight Anti-Semitism
Ze'ev Maghen's 1990 essay How to Fight Anti-Semitism provides, in my opnion, the best way for individual Jews to fight anti-Semitism. Maghen suggests being a Jew rather than an anti anti-Semite. He suggests fighting with affirmation - Jewish vitality - rather than negation. He suggests experiencing a genuine Shabbat, learning Jewish text, studying Hebrew and visiting Israel rather than holding up signs in an effort to protest anti-Semitism away.
"Surely none of you will tell me that down four millennia, and through the wrenching vicissitudes and savage depredations of exile, it was our appeals, protests and screams for equitable treatment that sustained us, kept us in life, and brought us to this season. No, my friends, our history teaches us a different lesson: that those who, rather than appealing and screaming, choose to build, to educate toward cultural and national revival, to defy anti-Semitism not with Jewish pleas and Jewish hand-wringing but with Jewish learning, Jewish observance, Jewish strength and Jewish achievement-such are those who bring our people survival, salvation, a future." Anti-Semitism Getty Images
We don't want to see it. We don't want to hear it. We don't want to believe it. But the fact is that Anti-Semitic beliefs endure in America.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) - the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry - has announced that 15% of Americans hold views about Jews that are "unquestionably anti-Semitic.?
The ADL's October 2007 national telephone survey of 2,000 American adults, The 2007 Survey of American Attitudes Towards Jews in America, found that nearly 35 million adults in America believe in anti-Jewish stereotypes.
Anti-Semitism in America
"What concerns us is that the successes we had seen moving toward a more tolerant and accepting America appear not to have taken hold as firmly as we had hoped," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "These findings, coupled with the ongoing acts of anti-Semitic incidents and hate crimes, suggest that anti-Semitic beliefs endure and resonate with a substantial segment of the population, nearly 35 million people."
According to surveys done by the ADL, the decline in the percentage of Americans with anti-Semitic beliefs that took place in the 1990's did not continue in the first decade of the 21st century.
- 1992: 20% of Americans hold anti-Semitic beliefs
- 1998: 12% of Americans hold anti-Semitic beliefs
- 2005: 14% of Americans hold anti-Semitic beliefs
- 2007: 15% of Americans hold anti-Semitic beliefs
Jewish stereotypes center on beliefs about loyalty, the death of Jesus and power:
- 31% of Americans believe Jews are more loyal to Israel than America.
- 27% of Americans believe Jews were responsible for the death of Christ.
- 15% of Americans believe that Jews have "Too much power in the U.S."
- 20% of Americans believe Jews have "Too much power in the business world."
- 18% of Americans believe Jews have "Too much control/influence on Wall Street.
29% of foreign-born Hispanics living in America hold hardcore anti-Semitic beliefs, as opposed to 15% of Hispanics born in the U.S.
32% of African-Americans hold strong anti-Semitic beliefs, which is three times more than the 10% for whites.
21% of those with a high school degree or less hold strong anti-Semitic views, compared to 10% of college graduates and 8% of those who hold post-graduate degrees.
18% of men hold strong anti-Semitic views, compared to 13% of women.
Pro-Jewish Stereotypes
The survey also found that a majority of Americans hold positive stereotypes about Jews, especially concerning ethics and family:
- 55% of Americans believe that Jews have a "special commitment to social justice and civil rights."
- 65% of Americans agree that Jews "contributed much to the cultural life of America."
- 79% of American Jews see as positive Jewish "emphasis on the importance of family life."
Anti-Semitic attitudes held by Americans differ from those held by Europeans, polled earlier in 2007 by the ADL.
ADL found that approximately half of the Europeans surveyed believe Jews are not loyal to their country and more than one-third believe that Jews have too much power in business and finance.
Furthermore, a large number of Europeans believe the classical anti-Semitic canards that have persistently pursued Jews through the centuries. In contrast, these classical anti-Semitic canards have been rejected by most Americans.
How to Fight Anti-Semitism
Ze'ev Maghen's 1990 essay How to Fight Anti-Semitism provides, in my opnion, the best way for individual Jews to fight anti-Semitism. Maghen suggests being a Jew rather than an anti anti-Semite. He suggests fighting with affirmation - Jewish vitality - rather than negation. He suggests experiencing a genuine Shabbat, learning Jewish text, studying Hebrew and visiting Israel rather than holding up signs in an effort to protest anti-Semitism away.
"Surely none of you will tell me that down four millennia, and through the wrenching vicissitudes and savage depredations of exile, it was our appeals, protests and screams for equitable treatment that sustained us, kept us in life, and brought us to this season. No, my friends, our history teaches us a different lesson: that those who, rather than appealing and screaming, choose to build, to educate toward cultural and national revival, to defy anti-Semitism not with Jewish pleas and Jewish hand-wringing but with Jewish learning, Jewish observance, Jewish strength and Jewish achievement-such are those who bring our people survival, salvation, a future."
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