Anti-Semitic attitudes in Europe rising, ADL says

[Behind the Aegis]

Source: Ynetnews

Survey of five European countries reveals that most Europeans believe Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their country and that they have too much power in business and finance

Ynetnews Published: 05.14.07, 10:38 / Israel News

A large number of Europeans continue to be infected with anti-Jewish attitudes, holding on to the classical anti-Semitic canards and conspiracy theories that have dogged Jews through the centuries, according to a new poll released by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Monday.

A survey of five European countries revealed that a plurality of Europeans believe Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their country and that they have too much power in business and finance.

The opinion survey of 2,714 adults – slightly more than 500 in each of the five countries – found an increase in negative attitudes toward Jews, or in some instances no change, from its 2005 findings.

As to attitudes regarding Israel and the Middle East, the poll showed mixed findings. For example, sympathy for the Palestinians over Israel continues but strong attitudes against Iran and Hamas were evidenced.

Read more: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3399589,00.html

[yurbud]

1. those are two very different issues--one is policy and the other stereotypes

Just because someone doesn't think Palestinians are animals to be exterminated doesn't make them anti-Semitic, any more than if we criticized the policies of France we would be anti-French.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. What article did you read?!

[yurbud]

5. the article discusses Israel & Palestine, Iran & Hamas, not just attitudes toward Jews

[Behind the Aegis]

6. But there was no reason to make this false correlation:

"Just because someone doesn't think Palestinians are animals to be exterminated doesn't make them anti-Semitic, any more than if we criticized the policies of France we would be anti-French."

There was nothing in the article that even suggested such a thing.

[yurbud]

13. hyperbole on my part. I was thinking of the New Yorker piece a while back where

some settlers in the territories were debating whether Palestinians are descendants of the people g_d told the Israelites to wipe out to take possession of Canaan.

[Warren DeMontague]

9. Yeah, you're obviously reading a different article than I am.

Seems like you're just making shit up and saying it because you like how it sounds.

[azurnoir]

2. The findings from the poll

were incomplete, I am not denying it's over all findings, however I knew that Poland, Spain, and Italy were among the countries polled, Poland in particular has a gruesome history of antisemitism, but Spain and Italy aren't far behind. I am willing to believe there are more anti-Israeli feelings, but that is not the same thing as hating Jews. I would have liked to see the poll it self with the break down at least by country.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. Here ya go..

http://www.adl.org/PresRele/ASInt_13/5045_13.htm

[azurnoir]

7. Thankyou

The perception that Jews are more loyal to Israel then their own countries is disturbing, however while it is true that Jews are "over-represented" in the banking and financial world percentage wise as compared to percentage in general public, it could be just as true to say "it's their* own fault, things are that way*".

* the non-jews

[Behind the Aegis]

8. You're welcome.

Since I saw it was sourced to the ADL, I figured it might already be on their website. The perception that Jews are less loyal to their own country is mimicked here. Now, you say that Jews are "over-represented" in the financial world, how did you reach this conclusion? I am not saying you are wrong, but I have never seen proof of any such thing.

Personally, what I found most distressing was that perception of Jews were negated based on actions of Israel.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lurking Dem]

12. What a ludicrous statement.

And how do you feel about the SPLC, or the NAACP?

[LeftishBrit]

14. Worrying...

There have been far too many anti-semitic incidents in the UK too, mostly at the hands of members of far-right groups and sometimes extreme Islamic groups. However, I don't think that the types of attitudes described in this article are quite as frequent - or at least as 'respectable' - as in some of the other countries mentioned here.

In 2004, there was a poll by Independent Communications and Marketing Research, which indicated that only 18% of British people actively agreed that "Jews have too much influence", though a surprising 35% "didn't know"; and 47% actively disagreed.

When asked “Would a British Jew make an equally acceptable prime minister as a member of any other faith?” 53% agreed, 28% were neutral and 18% disagreed (it may be noted here that at the time the Tory leader of the opposition was Jewish, and was very unpopular for reasons unrelated to his ethnicity/faith, so I suspect that more people might have 'disagreed' then than at another time).

When asked“Has the scale of the Nazi Holocaust against the Jews during the Second World War been exaggerated?”, 70% disagreed, 15% were neutral, and 15% agreed.

I don't know if things have got worse since 2004...

Of course, some of the 'neutral/ don't knows' may have held anti-semitic attitudes and not wanted to admit them, but I think even that is slightly better than thinking it's totally respectable to be anti-semitic.

The one thing that REALLY shocks me is the number of people who think that Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their own country. This is something that I hadn't knowingly encountered till I started going on American discussion boards (including occasionally this one), and that shocks me each time. I've come across plenty of other stereotypes: "All Jews have big hooked noses/ are greedy and miserly and always out to make a bargain/ have too much power in the banks and in business/ are too clever by half/ all Jews are Zionists and all Zionists are hard-line Likudniks/ etc." but not usually this dual-loyalty accusation. The dual-loyalty canard IS quite common in the UK with regard to British Asians; but not, I think, so much with Jews. I am wondering what has been causing it recently in America and parts of Europe (and perhaps here too; I just haven't come across it much)- is there some particular person or organization that is pushing it? Or has it been going on forever, and I've just missed it, despite being (partly) Jewish myself?