Anti-Semitism on rise in Europe: study
Pastor Dale Morgan
Anti-Semitism on rise in Europe: study
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By Allyn Fisher-Ilan
Reuters
Monday, May 14, 2007; 9:01 AM
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An increasing number of Europeans believe that
Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their home countries and have too
much influence in world finance, a U.S. group monitoring anti-Semitism
said on Monday.
"A large number of Europeans continue to be infected with anti-Jewish
attitudes, holding on to classic anti-Semitic canards and conspiracy
theories," Abraham Foxman, director of the Washington-based
Anti-Defamation League, told reporters.
"These attitudes help legitimize anti-Semitism, including violence
against Jews, and give us great concern," he said.
A survey conducted by the Anti-Defamation League in France, Spain,
German, Poland and Italy in March and April found that negative
stereotypes about Jews had gained ground in these countries since 2005.
The study measured responses to these statements: that Jews are more
loyal to Israel than their country, that they have too much power in the
business world and financial markets and that they talk too much about
the Nazi Holocaust of World War Two.
In all countries studied, with the exception of Italy, the poll found an
increase since a survey in 2005 in the percentage of Europeans who felt
Jews held Israel above their own states.
In Poland and Spain, about 60 percent of those surveyed expressed that
sentiment, up from about 50 percent two years ago. In Germany the figure
was 51 percent, with 48 percent in Italy and 39 percent in France.
Foxman called the dual loyalty allegation "a classical canard of
anti-Semitism" and a tenet of Hitler's ideology that Jews had sold out
Germany for their own interests.
One in four of the some 2,700 people surveyed said their attitudes
toward Jews "are colored by events in the Middle East," Foxman added. Of
these, 52 percent said they held a lower opinion of Jews as a result.
Foxman pointed to what he called an emergence of "a significant
relationship" between anti-Semitism and anti-Israeli sentiments or
criticism. But he said it was too soon to draw any direct parallels from
the survey.
The study did not tabulate incidents of anti-Semitic violence in Europe.
Tel Aviv University in Israel said in findings published in April that
the numbers of attacks against Jews had doubled worldwide last year
compared with 2005.
Most of the rise in violence was reported in Australia, Canada, the
United Kingdom and France, the Tel Aviv study said.