ADL survey: Majority of Americans reject antisemitism

The Herald Scotland

13 hours ago

The survey assessed more than 1,000 Americans across the nation and various demographics including age, political parties and views on Israel. Respondents were asked about deadly attacks in Washington D.C. and Boulder, Colorado as well as an arson attack at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's residence on April 13.
Last month, a 45-year-old man allegedly used a Molotov cocktail to attack members of the Jewish community during a march in Colorado, killing an 82-year-old woman and injuring 14 others. On May 21, a 31-year-old man fatally shot two staff members at the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C.
Around 22% of respondents said those attacks were not antisemitic, and 14% did not consider them hate crimes, according to the ADL. Around 13% called the attacks "justified" and 15% agreed that the violence was "necessary."
The survey also found that the majority of Americans consider the recent attacks on Jewish people "morally wrong."
"As the Jewish community is still reeling from recent antisemitic attacks that killed three people, it's unacceptable that one-quarter of Americans find this unspeakable violence understandable or justified -- an alarming sign of how antisemitic narratives are accepted by the mainstream," ADL CEO and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt said in a news release.
34% say Jewish Americans are more loyal to Israel than US
Greenblatt said antisemitic hate has continued to increase since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel when Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage in Gaza.
Since then, more than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, according to Reuters, and millions are suffering from acute malnutrition, starvation and illness.
"The torrent of antisemitic hate has continuously increased since Oct. 7, 2023, with Jews being harassed and targeted, blamed and attacked, wounded and killed. The bipartisan majority of the American public must act," Greenblatt said.
The ADL also shared more findings on perspectives toward the Jewish community, including that 34% of survey respondents said they believe Jewish Americans are more loyal to Israel than to the United States.
Around 30% of Americans believe Jewish people have too much influence in politics and media, the report states. Meanwhile, the report says one in four Democrats and 23% of Republicans have expressed concerns about antisemitism within their own political ranks.
The survey revealed that 27% of recipients said they believe Jewish Americans bear responsibility for the actions of Israel.
ADL survey: Other key findings
The ADL survey also revealed several other key findings, including that 29% of Americans are favorable toward anti-Israel protesters.
However, that favorability decreased with age, from 59% in favor for Gen Z, 29% for millennials and 16% for baby boomers.
Other findings include:
58% said protesters use the term "Zionist" to refer to Jewish people in general
68% said violence toward Jewish people rose with slogans like "Globalize the Intifada" or "From the River to the Sea."
34% said they aren't sure what "anti-Zionism" means
82% said they support removing online hate speech that celebrates violence
77% want government officials to do more to combat antisemitism
Islamophobia also spiked since the Oct. 7 attacks
Reports of discrimination or violence toward Muslims and Palestinians have peaked to new highs following Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
In March, CAIR reported that Islamophobia in the U.S. continues to be at an all-time high with many discrimination cases going toward "those speaking out against genocide and apartheid."
"Speaking out against Israel's policies of apartheid, occupation and genocide came with a price," CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor said in the report. "For the first time in our report's nearly 30-year history, complaints reported to us were often the result of viewpoint discrimination rather than religious identity."
During the two months after the Oct. 7 attacks, reported incidents of Islamophobia rose by 300% in the U.S., according to Vision of Humanity.
The platform also reported a 270% rise in antisemitic incidents in the U.S. between September 2023 and November 2023, as well as a 200% increase in 2024.