ADL poll: 31% of Europeans blame Jews for global financial crisis

[bemildred]

A recent survey conducted by the Anti-Defamation League found that anti-Semitic attitudes in seven European countries have worsened due to the global financial crisis and Israel's military actions against Palestinians.

Some 31 percent of adults polled blame Jews in the financial industry for the economic meltdown, while 58 percent of respondents admitted that their opinion of Jews has worsened due to their criticism of Israel.

The ADL, a Jewish-American organization polled 3,500 adults - 500 each in Austria, France, Hungary, Poland, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom - between December 1, 2008 and January 13, 2009. According to the survey, 40 percent of polled Europeans believe that Jews have an over-abundance of power in the business world. More than half of the respondents in Hungary, Spain and Poland agreed with this statement. These numbers were 7 percent higher in Hungary, 6 percent higher in Poland and 5 percent higher in France than those recorded in the ADL's 2007 survey.

Nearly half of the respondents in each of the countries said that Jews were more loyal to Israel than to their home country. Twenty-three percent said that their opinion of Jews was influenced by Israel's military and political activities.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1063092.html

[valerief]

1. I wonder if the Europeans they polled were Muslim. nt

[bemildred]

4. That's an interesting line of thought, considering the demographics of the pollees.

Yurpeans are not really a monolithic entity, nor have they even been.

[LeftishBrit]

19. Mostly not, I am sure.

Especially as, even in countries with a relatively large Muslim immigrant population, Muslims make up no more than 3 to 4% of the total population - and many Europaean countries have far fewer Muslims. No, we have met the enemy, and as usual it is Us, not some small group of outsiders.

These attitudes are endemic in Europe, and probably everywhere.

The same people would probably have blamed the Muslims for most other things wrong with the world, if they'd been asked about them.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

24. What assumptions are you making about that demographic?

Assumptions akin to the attitudes in the study, perhaps?

[valerief]

50. The war between Muslims and Jews in the Middle East isn't anything new.

It's possible that if only Muslims were asked, they'd get the responses they did. However, it's not necessarily the case that if only Muslims were asked, they'd get the responses they did. Just curious. And I know Europe is not part of the Middle East. :-)

[ProgressiveMuslim]

52. Or you might mean that Muslims are anti-semitic.

Europe has more than proven its ability to believe, profess and act upon virulent anti-semtism, wouldn't you agree?

No need to inquire as to whether a possible Muslim skew among those polled is responsible for the results.

[Name removed]

57. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LeftishBrit]

68. But the point here is that most Europaean antisemites are not Muslims.

You seem to be talking about antisemitism in some Middle Eastern countries.

One can't blame either Israel or Arab countries or Islam for a Europaean (indeed worldwide) problem.

[Violet_Crumble]

74. Your post is bigoted garbage....

Yr attitude is as ugly as if someone were to read yr hatefilled posts and come to the conclusion based on yr bigoted attitudes that most Jews hate Muslims....

[ProgressiveMuslim]

76. I missed the post, but find it ironic that people try to pin European anti-semitism on Muslims.

As if.

[LeftishBrit]

81. Actually, the same Europaeans tend to be prejudiced against both Jews and Muslims..

[oberliner]

82. Unfavorable opinions of Jewish people are much more common outside of Europe

Favorable opinions of Jews rank only in the single digits in Pakistan and Turkey for example.

[Vegasaurus]

84. It's close to 100% of Jordanians who have unfavorable opinions of Jews

the rest of the Muslim countries aren't far behind, even those that Israel is at "peace" with (like Egypt, 95% unfavorable opinion of Jews).

[aquart]

2. Always have. Always will.

But at least they're not crowding us into buildings and setting fire to them. I think that's a real improvement in attitude.

[jwirr]

3. 31% is about the same percentage of Americans who thing *ss did

a good job. That leaves 69% of the rest of us who can still think.

[bemildred]

5. True. The ADL doesn't really have an interest in mimimizing the problem either.

Nevertheless, there is clearly something there. The bit about still blaming them for killing Jesus is hard to rationalize.

[azurnoir]

28. Interesting tidbit here

when looking at the PDF of the survey I found something interesting when you total the responses to two questions that would deal with the current global financial crisis those being "Do Jews have too much influence in the business world" and "Do Jews have too much influence in the financial world" you get a response of about 40.5% answering yes and that is despite country to country variances relatively unchanged from 2007.

[bemildred]

30. I don't understand.

But I would like to, could you elaborate?

[Idealism]

33. The PDF states that the percentage

of people who think "Jews have too much influence in business" hasn't changed since there 2007 poll (2007 was before the financial crisis), which means that there is an odd notion among those they polled that regardless of bad times or good, "Jews control the world."

[bemildred]

36. Ah, I see.

The perception of undue financial influence is invariant under financial meltdowns. Maybe it is invariant under any real world events at all, an axiom, an article of faith, a dogma.

Edit: and thank you.

[Idealism]

46. I wish the PDF would have a breakdown as far as who was polled

Western European Catholics, British Muslims, etc. It would give you a clearer picture.

[azurnoir]

35. Neither do I understand that is

it would seem that the number of Europeans blaming Jews for the current crisis would be higher given the other 2 stats, not that 31% is acceptable or good either then again it is possible my inner bean counter got carried away.

[bemildred]

37. Well, I agree that it begs for further explanation.

And there is this: All Polls Are Crap

[Behind the Aegis]

38. Not really.

It would beg for further explanation had the numbers been reversed. If it had been 40% thought Jews were to blame for the economic crisis and 31% thought Jews had too much influence in business and finance, that would be an odd finding. But, even that could be explained. The way it stands it is what it is.

[bemildred]

42. Well, that would be odder.

But I think the question was why the global financial crisis has not affected the 41% number? Why no greater need for scapegoats in hard times? But I'm guessing, perhaps the original raisers of the question will correct me.

[Behind the Aegis]

43. Possible. Or...scapegoat never changed.

Just because anti-Semites hate Jews, it doesn't mean they hate the same way. Not all of them think we killed Jesus. Not all of them think we control the world banks. Therefore, it is easy to reason, not all of them would apply the anti-Semitic notion of Jewish business/banking domination to the current crisis.

[bemildred]

45. Yes, a dogma. nt

[IndianaGreen]

6. Perhaps ADL should put some effort in making Israel end the Occupation

and that will have more of an impact in reducing anti-Semitism than constantly whining about it, or libeling Hugo Chavez for things he did not do.

[oberliner]

9. Why does the occupation lead to anti-semitism?

I don't really get what one thing has to do with the other.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

26. You can't have it all ways, Oberliner.

Because Israel must preserve its Jewish character, and the ability for any Jewish person in the world to immigrate at any time, certain basic injustices are required to maintain that special privilege for Jewish people.

Just as Israel can't become a democratic state for all -- because -- GASP! -- it wouldnt' be "Jewish" -- you can't feign disbelief when people connect Israel, Israel's policies and Israel's actions with Jewish people.

You can't pick and choose. If Israel is to be a nation for Jewish people -- "just in case" -- you can't cry when some of the spills in a negative way.

Similarly, when groups that are primarily Muslim behave badly, that spills over onto Muslims around the world. Fair or not. That is reality. I find your professed "shock" disengenuous to say the least.

[GoesTo11]

32. Perhaps if Europeans start punishing Jews, Israel will rethink its policies!

It would make the agenda of the next council meeting.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

54. What does that mean?

Bottom line is that larger groups get painted with the broad brush sometimes...

[Howardx]

53. exactly right

good post.

[oberliner]

60. Totally illogical

There is no sane way to connect the Israeli occupation with the idea of thinking that Jews killed Jesus or that Jews are responsible for the financial crisis or that Jews have too much power in business.

[Howardx]

62. haha "no sane way"

i think youre deliberately being obtuse. the negativity of the occupation colors peoples perceptions so they are more likely to believe these other things.

[oberliner]

63. Seems like a stretch and/or an excuse

Are people's opinions of Chinese-Americans impacted by China's occupation of Tibet?

[Howardx]

65. probably not

but EUROPEAN opinions are impacted by their close neighbor israel's occupation.

[oberliner]

66. Well, if so, then I think that is ridiculous

Somehow I doubt that there would be less anti-semitism if there were no occupation.

There certainly was plenty before hand.

[Howardx]

67. you dont think...

that if israel and the palestinians were living in peace and harmony people would have a better opinion of israel and thus of jews? you seem very anxious to deny the fact that israels action have any effect on non israeli jews which i think is foolish considering the way anti semitic acts increase every time israel attacks someone. per the adl anyways.

[LeftishBrit]

79. People in most Europaean countries don't regard Israel as a 'close neighbour'

[oberliner]

59. That makes no sense to me at all

Why would the Israeli occupation lead someone to believe that "the Jews killed Jesus Christ" or that Jews have "too much power" in business or that the Jews are responsible for the global economic crisis?

Makes zero sense.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

75. Feel free to PM me to discuss it further.

[LeftishBrit]

20. While Israel ought to end the Occupation, that really has nothing to do with antisemitism in

Europe.

Nor does Hugo Chavez, if it comes to that.

Antisemitism has always existed in Europe and was far worse, as we know well, in the first half of the 20th century, before Israel even existed. It is one aspect of more general racism and xenophobia, which is an endemic problem in Europe, as no doubt in most places. It is a worse problem in Eastern than Western Europe, as the poll shows.

The vile stereotype of Jews as 'more loyal to Israel' shows no sign of dying down (sigh). Nor does the other vile stereotype of Jews as controlling financial institutions and causing economic crises.

Europaeans - and Americans - cannot blame Israel (or Chavez) for their own failings.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

55. Then this article should be posted in the religion forum.

[Behind the Aegis]

56. Nope. Fits here just fine.

[Captain Needa]

7. Utter propaganda bullshit

I doubt that this poll was even real. Next time ask us about Israeli government, because if there's one thing we collectively hate here in Europe is far-right policies. When Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu rule Israel, they'll be so politically toxic for most European parties that EU-Israel summits will take place in a table the width of a football field.

[oberliner]

8. You doubt the poll was real?

You can look at the PDF here:

http://www.adl.org/PresRele/ASInt_13/5465_13.htm

[Captain Needa]

10. So what?

A press release from ADL? Is that you call evidence? And what's the point in asking about centuries-old stereotypes but remarking the "antisemitism" whine since the Operation Cast Lead slaughter? And what about surveying 3.500 people out of a four hundred million population?

[oberliner]

11. Click on the pdf link in the press release

There is extensive data to be found there. You think the entire thing was falsified? I would imagine that if you contacted ADL they could provide you with additional verification that this survey was, in fact, actually conducted.

Regarding the survey size:

The margin of error for each country is +/- 4% at 95% level of confidence.

[oberliner]

12. delete

wrong place

[Captain Needa]

14. I've downloaded the .pdf

And it's cuuuute. Shiny colourful graphics. Oops! No technical data at all. I repeat: propaganda of the lowest kind.

[oberliner]

17. You think the entire survey was falsified?

You think all the numbers were just made up for propaganda purposes?

[Captain Needa]

18. I think that the poll was directed

to match the result ADL wanted to show.

[Vegasaurus]

21. But you're wrong nt

[rockymountaindem]

15. "if there's one thing we collectively hate here in Europe is far-right policies"

That explains Berlusconi, then.

[Captain Needa]

16. Berlusconi had to change the electoral rules

to be PM, and like his buddy Sarkozy is heavily contested.

[LeftishBrit]

23. 'We collectively hate far-right policies'...

Then that is why people like LePen, Geert Wilders, the Kaczynski brothers, Berlusconi, and the far-RW Mayor of Rome have all managed to do scarily well in elections - not always but too often?

A lot of us here hate far-right policies. But quite a few don't. Avigdor Lieberman is just the equivalent of someone like LePen or Wilders, no worse and no better.

And however 'politically toxic' the Israeli government may be, that does not justify or explain blaming Jews in Europe for the financial crisis!

[Captain Needa]

27. How long did Jean-Marie Le Pen last in politics?

And only once he scared the shit out of French people enough to make other parties join efforts to defeat him. There is a lot of hard right wing nutjobs here, but they feed mostly in populism, hence their occasional success.

And however 'politically toxic' the Israeli government may be, that does not justify or explain blaming Jews in Europe for the financial crisis!

Neither does it blaming Jews for the death of "that guy". With such polls I'm amazed they didn't ask people about the Protocols of Zion!

[shaayecanaan]

64. But...

Lieberman openly supports a policy of ethnic cleansing of Arabs. The BNP and other far rights parties in Europe do not. Their policy usually involves a moratorium on migration from certain countries.

If any of the major parties in the UK were to indicate their willingness to sit in coalition with the BNP there would be outrage. In Israel, even the Labour party has indicated a willingness to form a coalition with Yisrael Beteinu. There is no equivalent outrage.

There is always a sense of urgency about anti-semitism because of the shadow of the Holocaust. The subtext of these kinds of studies is always that there is a kind of barometer of anti-semitism and if it gets too high then Hitler's zombie will burst forth from his grave and go batshit crazy. Accordingly, "Death to the Arabs" simply doesnt cause as much concern as "Death to the Jews" does, in Western ears. But for Arabs, of course, it is a double standard, pure and simple. They cannot understand why a few cartoons in newspapers, or a toppled gravestone, should be comparable in gravity to the actual deaths of scores of Arabs killed from helicopter gunships.

It is of course quite ignorant of history and circumstances - Jews no longer constitute a mercantile minority in Europe and the kind of anger and resentment channeled towards them in the 1930s no longer exists. The 1968 crisis in Poland was sui generis - it was a cynical attempt to officially instigate anti-semitism which backfired in large part and led in the long term to the downfall of the Communist government in Poland.

[LeftishBrit]

70. You are wrong about the Europaean far-RW parties

Most of them support not only a moratorium on immigration, but repatriation of existing immigrants. They may get round hate-speech laws (which of course they'd abolish if they got into full power) by speaking of 'voluntary' repatriation; but it's obvious that they support pressure for immigrants and their families to leave the country.

Parties affiliated with the far-right have achieved power and been members of coalition governments in some European countries. The very right-wing Kaczynski brothers were PM and president of Poland for a while, for instance. In 2002, LePen's party came second in the first round of the French elections, beating the socialists into third place. The socialists were fortunately sufficiently wise and patriotic (in the true sense) to withdraw their candidate and ask the left to support the mainstream conservative candidate Chirac in the second round of elections; this led to LePen's marginalization. But it was a serious worry at the time.

The BNP has won council seats but no Parliamentary seats in Britain - but that is in part because we don't have proportional representation, so that small parties don't tend to get into parliament. Israel's pure proportional-representation system gives excessive power to the likes of Yisrael Beiteinu and the religious parties. Our system is too much at one extreme; Israel IMO is too much at the other.

[shaayecanaan]

85. Proportional representation can work...

eg Holland has full proportional representation. Australia and Japan have proportionally representative upper houses. Switzerland has a modified proportional representation system. It is very rare in Australia that a party will have an absolute majority in both houses. Likewise most governments in Switzerland are coalitions of up to 4 parties.

If you have a culture of democracy (which is very much the case in Switzerland and even in Australia) it can work.

[oberliner]

13. Note: 23 percent say their opinion of Jewish people is influenced by Israel's actions

While nearly half say Jews are more loyal to Israel than their own countries and close to 40 percent say that Jews have "too much power" in the business world.

[LeftishBrit]

22. And I suspect that among the 23%...

it is more a matter of their using Israel's actions to support views that they already have, than actually being influenced by them.

The results are pretty much in accordance with previous polls that I've seen. Contrary to some alarmists, there is no new 'epidemic of antisemitism' but then one could say that it's always been an alarming epidemic! On the other hand, Israel can hardly be blamed for a rather large number of Europaeans thinking what they've always thought.

About 50% of Brits think that there should be 'voluntary' repatriation of immigrants, and I suspect that they are pretty much the same people who think that Jews are more loyal to Israel. Different types of xenophobia tend to go together.

[Behind the Aegis]

31. Sounds familiar doesn't it?

Why, we see those things here!

[ProgressiveMuslim]

25. If the thread repliesin this forum are any indication

people would much rather talk about anti-semitism in Europe than Israel's ongoing crimes vis-a-vis Gaza, or the new settlement that was announced last week.

[Captain Needa]

29. They must think we are stupid

The equation is clear: Critics towards Israel=Antisemitism; Antisemitism=Bad and dangerous racism; Critics towards Israel=Bad and dangerous racism.

[Behind the Aegis]

34. Well you got the 'talking point' for your kind down.

As usual, your talking point has no logic.

The equation, is very clear: Anti-Semitism = bigotry; Some critics of Israel = poor reasoning skills; Bigotry = poor reasoning skills; therefore, Some critics of Israel = bigots.

It is nothing new really.

Of course, the above was a bastardization of the actual poll. What it does clearly show is what we see here at DU among some posters and that is actions of Israel equate to dislike of all Jews.

[Captain Needa]

39. I must have poor reasoning skills

because I fail to understand why I should cheer the kind of sickening behavior that got some fuckers hanged after Nürnberg trials.

[Behind the Aegis]

40. You must.

Because I have no idea how you reached that conclusion or even how it makes sense.

[Captain Needa]

41. That's because of your selective perception

that leads you to think that everything Israel does it's okay.

[Behind the Aegis]

44. So...you got nothing:

Just baseless accusations, another hallmark of posters like you.

[Captain Needa]

47. Ha ha! You're so funny

Progressive in everything but Israel, ain't it?

[Behind the Aegis]

48. So still nothing?

Color me shocked!

[Captain Needa]

49. Ooooookay, let's try it again

Although I really enjoy talking nonsense with you, nothing compares to the joy of reading your posts when we discussed the IDF actions in Gaza. What a wonderful example of doublethinking.

[Behind the Aegis]

51. And where did this occur?

"... your posts when we discussed the IDF actions in Gaza. "

As usual, you have nothing, make odd statements, even odder conclusions, and then change the subject.

[LeftishBrit]

58. How does disliking antisemitism in Europe equate to thinking everything Israel does is OK?

[inthebrain]

71. More like your desire to change the subject

People that were hanged at Nuremburg were not hanged for anti semitism. So even mentioning that is completely nonsequitor.

They were hanged for the systematic extermination of Jews, Gypsis, Communists and dissidents. Juxtaposing Nuremburg with todays rise of anti semitism is just flat out ridiculous.

[Captain Needa]

78. No, they were hanged for their actions

Actions that resemble what Israel is doing in the occupied territories: ghettoization, collective punishment, murder... IMHO what's flat out ridiculous is some people's pity attempts to justify it waving the atisemitism flag.

[oberliner]

80. Yeah, such a resemblance!

You are going so far as to say that Israelis have committed actions that resemble the actions of those sentenced to be killed in Nuremberg?

[Captain Needa]

86. Yes, I am

How many deaths do you need until it becomes "unacceptable"? Ten thousand? One hundred? Six million? Is your regard for human life so ethereal that while the numbers keep low you don't care? How if the Allies in WWII had thought that when compared to the twenty million human loses Russia suffered and the overall seventy million casualties, the Shoah, six million people, was insignificant and didn't make a cause?

[inthebrain]

87. You're not making any sense

The only thing that comes through here is your assumptions.

[Shaktimaan]

69. Who is "they"?

By the way, Antisemitism=Bad and dangerous racism ...If you think about it, this statement is actually a pretty funny comment on how some people can misunderstand something so badly that they are unable to even make a simple criticism of the thing without simultaneously killing any credibility they had regarding their understanding of the subject.

It's especially funny if you consider that referring to anti-semitism as racism could be considered by some to actually be an anti-semitic comment itself.

[Captain Needa]

77. As far I have seen

Any kind of criticism on Israeli policies are labelled as antisemitic. So, if antisemitism is not racism, would anti-hispanics or anti-native americans be considered as racists?

[LeftishBrit]

73. Blaming Jews for the financial crisis is not 'criticism of Israel'.

[inthebrain]

88. I think I get it now

When talking about Isreal with those who cricize it, in no way should blatant anti semetism EVER be called out. Even for absurd mentionings of the "Protocols of the elders of zion" or the mention of a "network of Jews trying to take over and control the world".

Afterall, anti semites don't criticize Isreal at all. They would never dare throw in with those who have a legit criticizm of the Isreali government and try to hijack the conversation. Much like they have now done with any criticizm of the handeling of 9/11 and the 9/11 commision.

Me thinks some folks have much to hide about their real intentions when they try to dismiss the fact that Jew haters also attack Israel and their attacks are very obvious.

[oberliner]

61. Six of the thread replies are from you

And counting!

[azurnoir]

72. 6 And counting ?

it seems 9 were from BTA but you do not seem to have a problem with that

[oberliner]

83. Responding to the person who complained about the number of thread replies

Personally, I do not think there is any problem with how many replies this thread has received at all.