Last update - 00:00 15/05/2007
ADL survey: Many Europeans say Jews are too powerful in business
By Amiram Barkat, Haaretz Correspondent and Staff
A study by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) covering five European countries found rising anti-Semitism, including beliefs that Jews have too much power in business and finance, the ADL said yesterday.
"A large number of Europeans continue to be infected with anti-Jewish attitudes, holding on to the classical anti-Semitic canards and conspiracy theories that have dogged Jews through the centuries," the organization said in a press release.
The study, which surveyed 2,714 adults in France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland, found that negative attitudes toward Jews increased, or in some instances did not change, when compared with a similar study in 2005.
The ADL study found that 39 percent of respondents believe that "Jews have too much power in the business world," while 44 percent said they agreed with the statement that "Jews have too much power in international financial markets."
Overall, 20 percent of respondents said they blame Jews for the death of Jesus.
ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman said the study marked the first time the organization examined the connection between criticism of Israeli government policy and increased anti-Semitic sentiment.
In a press conference in Jerusalem, Foxman said the results proved linkage between the two. "We still can't say how reservations about Israeli policy affect the anti-Jewish sentiment and to what extent, but the fact that there is a relationship between the two phenomena is significant," he said.
Of the respondents, 51 percent said they feel Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their home country. Twenty-five percent said their opinion of Jews is influenced by Israel's actions, and 52 percent of those said Israel's actions has worsened their views on Jews.
Foxman said "biased media coverage" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a contributing factor to anti-Semitic beliefs.
In addition, nearly half of all respondents, including a majority of respondents from Spain and Poland, said they believe American Jews control the United States' foreign policy in the Middle East.
"The findings of this survey demonstrate that individual governments and the EU, who have condemned anti-Semitism and sought ways to counteract it, need to find methods and implement programs that will break down the old stereotypes that die hard, and take leadership to make anti-Semitism unacceptable in their societies," Foxman said.
The survey also examined the respondents' attitudes toward the Palestinian unity government and the Iranian nuclear issue.
"A majority identified Hamas as a terrorist organization and supports the European decision not to provide foreign aid to the Palestinian government until Hamas renounces terrorism and agrees to recognize Israel and agreements signed by Israel and the Palestinian Authority," the ADL said.
However, a majority also said they do not believe Israel had the right to respond militarily to the abduction of its soldiers last summer.
On Iran, 67 percent of respondents said they believe Iran's nuclear program is at least partially military in nature, and only 14 percent said the program is intended solely for civilian energy purposes.