John, these were the most pervasive antisemitic tropes found in 10 European countries during the 2023 update to the ADL Global 100: An Index of Antisemitism. The ongoing G100 Index is the most extensive poll on antisemitic attitudes ever conducted. The new findings highlight the magnitude of antisemitic attitudes, and which anti-Jewish beliefs are the most entrenched.

Index of Antisemitic Attitudes in Europe; the score reflects the percentage of adults surveyed who harbor antisemitic opinions.

This update to the study, which has been published periodically since 2014, found that roughly one out of every four residents in the European countries polled harbor antisemitic attitudes. This finding reflects nationally representative samples from Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, and is consistent with 2019 data. The sharpest drop in antisemitic attitudes came in Ukraine, where the index dropped from 46% to 29%. Is the dramatic improvement in antisemitic attitudes there linked to the popularity of President Volodymyr Zelensky, a leader who is public about his Jewish heritage?

Other findings of note:

• In Western Europe, the most commonly held stereotype is the belief that Jews are more loyal to Israel than the countries they reside in. In Eastern Europe, this stereotype is also common, as are economic antisemitism and the perception of Jews as clannish. Holocaust denial is also markedly higher in Eastern Europe.
• Antisemitism index scores tend to be higher on the political right than the political left, but there are significant numbers who harbor antisemitic views across the political spectrum. People who identify as centrists or moderates have the lowest antisemitism index scores in Europe.
• While in many Western European countries, respondents say they sympathize more with Palestinians than Israelis, support for boycotting Israeli products is very low.

It’s disturbing that so many Europeans continue to subscribe to some of the most dangerous antisemitic canards from history, including that Jews are inherently greedy, that they control government and finance or are more loyal to Israel. These noxious ideas historically motivated antisemitic attacks and should never be taken lightly, especially on a continent that witnessed the Holocaust.

This is yet another reminder of why all of us in the ADL community need to join together to Fight Hate for Good.

Sincerely,
Marina Rosenberg
SVP, International Affairs
ADL