The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a new survey, which unfortunately displays an increase in extreme antisemitic views.
The complete survey findings–conducted by the ADL Center for Antisemitism Research during January 5-18–are a cause for concern, especially with Gen-Z and Millennials. Their representative sample is 4,143 adults with a 1.5% margin of error. There is a bigger representation of the 18-26 demographic. Regardless of the sample size, the findings can be particularly depressing with the amount of people agreeing with antisemitic tropes. Furthermore, the findings display a stark change from prior years:
And in contrast to years prior in which older generations were more likely to harbor extensive antisemitic prejudice than younger generations, this survey found Millennials and Generation Z have surpassed older Americans and agree with more anti-Jewish tropes than any other generational cohort.
It is not surprising for any of us who regularly check social media. I’m not alone in having to unfriend and unfollow people on social media for their antisemitic views.
I have to say that I’m in agreement with ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt.
“After decades of antisemitism mostly keeping to the fringes of society, it is shocking to see the number of Americans who openly hold antisemitic beliefs increase so significantly in recent years,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “And the sharp reversal, from older generations to younger generations being more likely to hold antisemitic beliefs, is a terrifying concern for our future. The need for better solutions is more urgent than ever – before this dangerous momentum keeps growing.”
Where things get really concerning is where 27% think it is okay for friends or family members to support Hamas. I’m sorry but this is just unacceptable. It is absurd to think people are okay with family members or friends supporting Hamas. Did they forget the barbaric October 7 attack? The findings are just infuriating. I don’t know how anyone in the right mind can say that they would be okay with family members supporting a terrorist organization, especially a terrorist organization that calls for wiping Israel off the map, let alone Jewish genocide.
ADL’s survey also found that 27 percent of Americans would find it at least somewhat acceptable for a close family member to support Hamas, and 24 percent of Americans have a close friend or family member who dislike Jews. In total, more than 42 percent of Americans either have friends/family who dislike Jews or find it socially acceptable for a close family member to support Hamas.
It’s no wonder that myself and many other friends are finding ourselves feeling increasingly unsafe in our communities. I’m transgender and have not found safe or welcome in left-wing trans spaces going back to 2017. It is one thing for someone to say that they are critical of the Israeli government. Many Jews I know are not fans of Netanyahu, let alone the far-right Smotrich and Ben Gvir. However, there are way too many leftists with the belief that Israel should not exist. Israel exists and people need to accept this. For someone to say they are anti-Zionist in a post-1948 world is really saying that Jews should not be safe. Zionism is the belief in Jewish self-determination and that we should govern ourselves in our ancestral homeland. If a friend were to tell me they are an anti-Zionist, they would no longer be a friend.
Despite people who hold antisemitic views, the good news is that “nearly 90% of Americans believe Jews have the right to an independent country, and that the two-state solution is the most popular solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict across all generations.”
As I’ve said time and time again, this requires leadership on both sides to support a two-state solution. Netanyahu and the right-wing coalition is a barrier to this. It is impossible to have peace as long as Hamas runs Gaza or has any part in a reformed Palestinian Authority. I believe that peace can happen but it is easier said than done.
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