It’s not just Kanye. Anti-Jewish sentiment has DOUBLED since 2019 as hate crime rises and more politicians, celebrities and athletes come under fire for anti-Semitism
- A fifth of Americans now believe in at least six anti-Jewish ideas, Watchdog says
- That is almost twice as much as in 2019 and the highest percentage in 30 years
- Unjustified views of Jewish nepotism and cliques are commonplace
- The poll comes amid a surge in anti-Jewish hate crimes and celebrity misconduct
- Kanye “Ye” West, Whoopi Goldberg, Meyers Leonard and Donald Trump under fire
The number of Americans who believe in anti-Jewish tropes has doubled since 2019, a new study warns, as hate crimes rise and more celebrities, politicians and athletes come under fire for anti-Semitism.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an advocacy group, polled thousands of Americans last fall and found that about 85 percent subscribed to at least one anti-Jewish trope, compared to 61 percent in 2019.
A fifth of respondents believed six or more anti-Jewish beliefs about the minority’s alleged cliqueism and nepotism in business dealings – almost double the 11 percent in 2019.
The findings come after a spike in attacks on synagogues and Jewish community centers, and an apparent increase in celebs like Kanye ‘Ye’ West spreading anti-Semitic views on social media.
A fifth of Americans now believe in at least six anti-Jewish ideas — nearly double the number in 2019 and the highest proportion in 30 years
Other recent scandals have involved Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg, Los Angeles Lakers player Meyers Leonard, former President Donald Trump and Democratic Congressman Ilhan Omar.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of ADL, called the results “stunning and sobering” and a “wake-up call for the whole country”.
“There is an alarming increase in anti-Semitic views and hatred in almost every field, at levels not seen in decades,” he warned.
The survey, which collected responses from 4,000 adults in the fall of 2022, presented respondents with 14 statements and asked them whether they thought they were “mostly/somewhat true” or “mostly/somewhat false.”
They focused on well-known anti-Jewish tropes such as “Jews stick together more than other Americans,” that they have “too much control over Wall Street,” or that they are dishonest and only care about “their own kind.”
One in five respondents who agreed with six of these statements nearly doubled the proportion in 2019, when the survey was last conducted, and the highest level since 1992.
Politicians including former President Donald Trump (left) and Congressional “Squad” member Ilhan Omar (right) have been criticized for alleged anti-Semitism
Reports of hate crimes have surged across the country – including a 63-year-old man who was attacked in New York’s Central Park last month after being mugged by a man who used anti-Semitic insults at the victim, as well as “Kanye 2024”. said the police.
Ye was suspended from Twitter last month after tweeting an image of the Star of David with a swastika inside it – part of a string of anti-Semitic and far-right conspiracy rants from the rapper in recent months.
The issue also made headlines after Republican Trump hosted white supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and Ye at his private club in Florida in November.
Trump said the encounter with Fuentes happened accidentally while he was having dinner with Ye.
Goldberg has made a number of comments on the Holocaust, saying the Nazi genocide was “white-on-white” violence and not race – for which she was suspended from her role as host of talk show The View last year.
The LA Lakers basketball team is reportedly planning to coach Leonard two years after he was suspended and forced to meet with Jewish leaders for using an anti-Jewish slur during a video game live stream.
For her part, Omar, a member of the leftist squad on Capitol Hill, apologized amid a barrage of criticism for implying in 2019 that support for Israel was fueled by money from a pro-Israel lobby group.
The ADL poll linked criticism of Israel to anti-Semitism, finding that 23 percent of respondents believe Israel gets away with it all and controls the media; while 18 percent dislike spending time with a pro-Israeli people.
“These anti-Israel beliefs are not a comment on Israeli government policy,” Greenblatt said. “They are anti-Semitism in a different form.”