adl - atttitudes toward jews 2005

Attitudes Toward Jews in Twelve European Countries

May 2005

Prepared by: First International Resources, LLC

823 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017 www.adl.org

2

Table of Contents

Methodology 3 Anti-Semitism in Europe 4 Trends in Anti-Semitic Attitudes 13 Age and Education 26

3

Methodology

First International Resources was commissioned by the Anti-Defamation League to research attitudes and opinions toward Jews in twelve European countries.

Our research focused on the prevalent attitudes of the general public

in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and for the first time, Poland and Hungary.

Data results for each individual country were weighted based on age

and gender. The completed interview data underwent minor weighting to national population data using official government information on age and gender.

In addition to the individual country results, we have compiled overall

European statistics which take into account the findings from the twelve countries surveyed as a whole. These European figures are combined results from our surveys, with each countrys findings being weighted equally as one-twelfth of the whole.

Fieldwork was done by Taylor Nelson Sofres, which conducted a total

of 6,000 telephone interviews -- 500 in each of the twelve countries -- among the general public between April 11 -- May 6, 2005.

Interviews were conducted in the native language of each of the

countries and were completed by TNS. The margin of error for each country is +/- 4.5 at 95% level of

confidence.

4

Anti-Semitism in Europe As with previous surveys, data from the 2005 European tracking poll indicates that significant percentages of European respondents continue to believe in some of the most pernicious anti-Semitic stereotypes. Respondents across the continent were asked whether or not they thought the following four statements were probably true or probably false.

1) Jews are more loyal to Israel than to this country. 2) Jews have too much power in the business world. 3) Jews have too much power in international financial

markets. 4) Jews still talk too much about what happened to them in

the Holocaust

Respondents were also asked whether they agree or disagree with the following statement:

The Jews are responsible for the death of Christ

Finally, respondents were asked if their opinion of Jews was influenced by actions taken by the State of Israel and whether they believed the violence directed against European Jews was a result of anti-Jewish feelings or anti-Israel sentiment.

5

(1) Jews are more loyal to Israel than to this country.

38%41% 43%

29%

50%

36% 37%

55%52% 51%

38% 39%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

A ust r ia B elg ium D enmar k F r ance G er many Ho l land Hung ar y I t a ly Po land Sp ain Sw it z er land U K

Percent responding probably true

The data indicates that Europeans continue to question the

loyalty of their Jewish citizens. Overall, a plurality of those surveyed across Europe, 43

percent, believe that Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their own country.

A majority of respondents in Italy, Germany, Poland and Spain

responded believe that this statement is probably true. In fact, in ten of the twelve countries surveyed, a plurality of

respondents agree with the characterization that Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their own country.

6

(2) Jews have too much power in the business world.

24%

33%

11%

25%

20%18%

55%

33%

43%45%

26%

14%

0%Austria Belgium Denmark France Germany Holland Hungary Italy Poland Spain Switzerland UK

Percent responding probably true

60

%

%

%

%

%

%

50

40

30

20 10 Alarmingly high levels of those surveyed across Europe still

believe in the traditional anti-Jewish canard that Jews have too much power in the business world.

Overall, nearly 30 percent of all respondents believe this

stereotype to be true. Half of Hungarian respondents, 55 percent, believe that Jews

have too much power in the business world.

7

(3) Jews have too much power in international financial markets. Percent responding probably true

33% 33%

21%24% 24%

19%

55%

32%

43%

54%

30%

16%

0%

60

%

%

%

%

%

%

50

40 30 20

10

Austria Belgium Denmark France Germany Holland Hungary Italy Poland Spain Switzerland UK Similarly, European respondents still adhere to the notion that

Jews have too much power in international financial markets. Overall, 32 percent of those surveyed cling to the traditional

stereotype that Jews exert too much influence over international financial markets.

A majority of Spanish and Hungarian respondents believe the

above statement to be probably true.

8

(4) Jews still talk too much about what happened to them in the

Holocaust. Percent responding probably true

46%

41%

35% 34%

48%

34%

46%49%

52%

46%48%

28%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%


Large portions of the European public continue to believe that

Jews still talk too much about what happened to them in the Holocaust.

Overall, 42 percent of those surveyed believe it is probably

true that Jews still talk too much about the Holocaust. In fact, a plurality of respondents in Austria, Germany, Hungary,

Italy, Poland, Spain and Switzerland believe this notion to be true.

9

(5) The Jews are responsible for the death of Christ.

Percent responding strongly agree + somewhat agree

16%

19%22%

13%

18% 18%20%

14%

39%

20%19%

20%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%


A significant percentage of those surveyed across Europe

continue to blame Jews for the death of Jesus. Overall, 20 percent agree with the statement that Jews are

responsible for the death of Christ. More than a third of Polish respondents, 39 percent, agree with

this statement -- the highest percentage of all the countries surveyed.

10

(6a) Is your opinion of Jews influenced by actions taken by the State of Israel?

Percent responding yes

36%

28%

34%

15%

31%

26%

22%

25%28%

37%

41%

28%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%


Overall, 29 percent of those surveyed across Europe say that

their opinion of Jews is influenced by the actions taken by the State of Israel.

More than a third of those surveyed in Switzerland, Spain,

Austria and Denmark view Jews differently as a result of the actions taken by Israel.

11

Respondents who answered yes in question 6a were then asked the following questions:

(6b) Is your opinion of Jews better or worse?

Percent responding worse

49%

63%

39% 38%

50%

62%

39%

51%

42%

69%

59%56%

0%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

% 80

70

60

50

40

30 20 10

A ust r ia B elg ium D enmar k F r ance G er many Ho l land Hung ar y I t a ly Po land Sp ain Sw it z er land U K Overall, of those respondents whose opinions are influenced, a

majority, 53 percent, say that their opinion of Jews is worse as a result of the actions taken by Israel.

Respondents in Spain (69 percent), Belgium (63 percent) and

Holland (62 percent) are most likely to view Jews more negatively as a result of actions taken by the State of Israel.

12

(7) In your opinion, is the violence directed against European Jews a result of anti-Jewish feelings or a result of anti-Israel sentiment?

27%

39%

23%

41%

10%

65%

20%

36%

27%

43%

20%

44%

17%

27%

32%

39%

34%

21%18%

31%

27%

46%

24%

33%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Austria Belgium Denmark France Germany Holland Hungary Italy Poland Spain Switzerland UK

Anti-Jew ish Feelings Anti-Israel Sentim ent Overall, 39 percent of those surveyed believe that the violence

directed against European Jews is a result of anti-Israel sentiment while 23 percent believe it is a result of anti-Jewish feelings.

Danish respondents are most likely to believe that anti-Israel sentiment in the reason for behind the violence directed at European Jews.

Polish respondents are most likely to believe that anti-Jewish

feelings are the cause of violence directed against Europes Jews.

13

Trends in Anti-Semitic Attitudes In 2004, the Anti-Defamation League conducted similar surveys of European attitudes toward Jews. The following section compares results from the 2004 survey with results from the recently completed 2005 tracking survey.

The 2005 survey indicates that over the past year there has

been some decline in the acceptance of certain traditional anti-Semitic stereotypes in the European countries tested.

However, the opposite is true among respondents in Denmark,

where trends actually point to an increase in the percentage of people agreeing with each of the traditional anti-Semitic stereotypes tested.

Additionally, Spanish respondents are more likely to question

the loyalty of their Jewish citizens than they were in 2004. Since 2004, there has been an increase in the percentage of

Italian respondents who believe that Jews have too much power in the business world.

The data indicates that those surveyed in Italy and Spain are

now more likely to think that Jews still talk too much about what happened to them in the Holocaust.

There has been a slight increase in the belief that Jews are

responsible for the death of Jesus in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Holland and Switzerland.

Given that 2005 was the first time polling was conducted in

Hungary and Poland, there are no previous results with which to compare.

14

AUSTRIA Percent responding probably true to

each statement

46%

33%

24%

38%

54%

36%

46%

25%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Jews still talk too muchabout what happened to

them in the Holocaust

Jews have too muchpower in international

financial markets

Jews have too muchpower in the business

world

Jews are more loyal toIsrael than to this country

2004

2005

15

BELGIUM Percent responding probably true to

each statement

41%

33%

33%

41%

40%

36%

46%

37%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%




financial markets


world


2004

2005

16

DENMARK

Percent responding probably true to each statement

35%

21%

11%

43%

29%

18%

37%

9%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%




financial markets


world


2004

2005

17

FRANCE


34%

24%

25%

29%

35%

29%

28%

33%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%




financial markets


world


2004

2005

18

GERMANY


48%

24%

20%

50%

56%

27%

50%

24%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%




financial markets


world


2004

2005

19

THE NETHERLANDSPercent responding probably true to

each statement

34%

19%

18%

36%

39%

19%

44%

18%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%




financial markets


world


2004

2005

20

ITALYPercent responding probably true to

each statement

49%

32%

33%

55%

44%

31%

57%

29%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%




financial markets


world


2004

2005

21

SPAINPercent responding probably true to

each statement

46%

54%

45%

51%

41%

53%

48%

47%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%




financial markets


world


2004

2005

22

SWITZERLANDPercent responding probably true to

each statement

48%

30%

26%

38%

49%

38%

46%

35%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%




financial markets


world


2004

2005

23

UNITED KINGDOM


28%

16%

14%

38%

31%

18%

40%

20%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%




financial markets


world


2004

2005

24

Do you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree or strongly disagree with the following statement: The Jews are responsible for the death of Christ.

Percent responding strongly agree + somewhat agree

14%

16% 16%

19%18%

22%

15%

13%

18%

15%

18%19%

14%

23%

20%

17%

19%20%

0%

10%

20%

30%

Austria Belgium Denmark France Germany Holland Italy Spain Switzerland UK

2004 2005

25

In your opinion, is the violence directed against European Jews a result of anti-Jewish feelings or a result of anti-Israel sentiment?

Percent responding anti-Jewish feelings

18%

27%

14%

23%

6%

10%

15%

20%

17%

27%

12%

20%22%

32%

17%18%

13%

27%

14%

24%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%


2004 2005

56%

39%

55%

41%

70%

65%

50%

36%

59%

43%

60%

44%41%

39%

50%

31%

60%

46%51%

33%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%


2004 2005

Percent responding anti-Israel sentiment

26

Age and Education The data indicates that age and education are key factors in

determining the likelihood of a respondent believing in traditional anti-Semitic stereotypes.

Those over the age of 65 and those who completed their

education by age 17 or before, are more likely than the rest of the population to agree with the anti-Semitic characterizations presented in the survey.

The following table illustrates this trend in the twelve countries

surveyed.

49%

33%

33%

48%

51%

43%

50%

43%

32%

29%

43%

40%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Jew s s till talk too m uchabout w hat happened to


Jew s have too m uch pow erin international financial

m arkets

Jew s have too m uch pow erin the bus iness w orld

Jew s are m ore loyal toIsrael than to this country

Overall

Age 65+

Completededucation byage 17 or before


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