Study: Anti-Jewish attitudes rise in Europe

Anti-Jewish feelings have risen in several major European countries, a worldwide survey has found.

 

Anti-Muslims attitudes have also risen around the world in the past several years, according to the survey by the Washington-based Pew Research Center.

 

The spring 2008 global attitude survey, released Wednesday, found some 46 percent of Spaniards, 34 percent of Russians, 36 percent of Poles, 25 percent of Germans and 20 percent of French rated Jews unfavorably. These percentages are all higher than comparable Pew surveys taken in recent years, with more notable increases between 2006 and 2008.

 

Great Britain is the only European country included in the survey where there has not been a large increase in anti-Semitic attitudes, with 9 percent of Britons rating Jews unfavorably, almost the same as in previous years. Some 11 percent of Australians and 7 percent of Americans also view Jews unfavorably.

 

Muslims are viewed more negatively than Jews in the same countries, including 52 percent in Spain and 50 percent in Germany and 23 percent both in the United States and Britain, though the same people who view Jews unfavorably tend to view Muslims the same way, the report says.

Older people and those with less education are more anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim than are younger people or those with more education.