ADL Poll: American Belief in Anti-Jewish Tropes “Cause for Concern”

January 13, 2023

by: Kate Norman

Friday, 13 January 2023 | A report published by the Anti-Defamation League [ADL] yesterday showed that the number of Americans who believe anti-Semitic tropes has doubled since 2019. The ADL said that the results of its poll “show several trends that are cause for concern.”

The ADL has been measuring American anti-Semitism since the 1960s and has recently partnered with the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago (NORC) and the One8 Foundation to “study the research literature on bias and anti-Semitism, convene academic and communal leaders and conduct qualitative interviews,” according to the report.

The report released yesterday was based on a survey of over 4,000 people between September and October 2022, with a margin of error of 2.06%.

The survey showed that 85% of Americans believe at least one anti-Jewish trope, compared to only 61% in 2019. Some 20% believe six or more anti-Jewish tropes, up from 11% in 2019, which the report noted is “the highest level measured in decades.”

The results revealed that 20% of Americans agreed with at least six of the anti-Semitic stereotypes, the highest number since 1992 and up 9% from 2019.

Some 3% of the American population believe in all 11 tropes included in the survey. Three percent of the American population amounts to about eight million people, the ADL noted—more than the Jewish population of the US.

The survey tropes included: Jews stick together more than other Americans; Jews in business go out of their way to hire other Jews; Jews are more loyal to Israel than to America; and Jews have too much power in the business world, among others.

The belief in those anti-Semitic stereotypes showed a correlation with anti-Israel opinions, according to the report. Of the people surveyed, 40% said they believe that Israel treats the Palestinian people as the Nazis treated the Jews, 18% said they were uncomfortable spending time with someone who supports Israel and 23% said they believe Israel can get away with anything because its supporters control the media.

The results also showed that more young adults (21%) agree with more of the anti-Israel statements in the survey than older adults (11%).

These anti-Israel beliefs are dangerous, as the ADL reported that it has “seen the ways in which criticisms of Israel can exceed policy critiques and instead morph into traditional anti-Jewish conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic tropes as well as be weaponized to malign or increase hostility toward Jews generally.”

And the correlation is high between adults who believe in anti-Jewish tropes and those who hold anti-Israel positions, though it is much higher for older Americans than younger.

“Those of us on the front lines have expected such results for a while now—and yet the data are still stunning and sobering,” ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt said, as quoted by the Times of Israel. “There is an alarming increase in anti-Semitic views and hatred across every metric—at levels unseen for decades.

“From Pittsburgh to Charlottesville to the near-daily harassment of Jews in our greatest cities, anti-Semitic beliefs lead to violence,” Greenblatt warned. “I hope this survey is a wake-up call for the entire country.”

The ADL said it is going to dive deeper into its research findings over the next few months and release its findings on anti-Semitism among different parts of the population and what lies behind people’s belief in anti-Semitic and anti-Israel beliefs.

Posted on January 13, 2023

Source: (Bridges for Peace, January 13, 2023)

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