05 November 2007
Fifteen percent of Americans hold "unquestionably anti-Semitic beliefs," according to a new survey commissioned by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The survey found that the percentage of those with strong anti-Semitic feelings had risen to 14 per cent in 2005. ADL director Abraham Foxman said the most worrying finding was that nearly a third of Americans believe Jews were more loyal to Israel than the US, a number that he said "has not budged in 40 years."
The survey also found that strong anti-Semitic feelings were high among foreign-born Hispanics and African Americans, at 29 per cent and 32 per cent respectively. Anti-Semitic sentiments are more generally found among men than women and tend to decrease with education. The numbers for the United States also stand in marked contrast to European figures, where ADL surveys have found that half of Europeans believe Jews were not loyal to their country and more than a third believe Jews had too much power in business and finance.