An increasing number of French Jews believe that antisemitism is widespread in their country, according to a new survey conducted by the American Jewish Committee.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
According to the study, conducted in late 2021, 85% of Jews said that antisemitism is widespread. That number is up nearly 20 points from a similar survey conducted just two years earlier that found 67% of French Jews said Jew-hatred was widespread.
Further, 73% of Jews have been victims of antisemitism. While the vast majority of incidents were derogatory remarks, some 20% of the reported incidents were labeled as "physical violence."
According to Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, director-general of AJC Europe, there was a "75% increase in antisemitism" in France in 2021.
"More than the actual numbers of antisemitic hate crimes," she said. "I believe it has to do with the prevalence of antisemitic conspiracy theories during the anti-vax movements with demonstrators branding an infamous 'who' sign, suggesting Jews were behind coronavirus or the vaccine, depending on the form of conspiracy theory … ."
The increase of such conspiratorial theories on social media, she said, "means that more and more Jews and non-Jews have been directly or indirectly been exposed to antisemitism."
Other findings show the impact these instances are having on religious life. For instance, 41% of Jews polled said they avoid displaying mezuzahs and other religious symbols – up from 37% in late 2019 – and 45% of parents ask their children not to tell others they are Jewish.
Additionally, 32% of parents say their children have been the target of antisemitic insults, with 18% say their children have been physically attacked.
"Fearing for one's own safety and for children's security has tragically become the new normal for most French Jews, leading many of them to hide their Jewish identity and to tell their children to do so as well," Rodan-Benzaquen said in a press release. "This is simply unacceptable in any democracy that is supposed to protect all its citizens."
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
The study, which also polled non-Jews, found that 64% of the general French public believes that antisemitism is widespread. That number is up from 47% in late 2019. Additionally, nearly a third of French citizens say antisemitism is not talked about enough, while 15% say it is discussed too much.
It also found that more than a quarter of French people hold "prejudices that are classic antisemitic tropes," such as the idea that Jews are richer than the average French person, while those same stereotypes are more prevalent among French individuals who identify as Muslim. Those who identify as Muslim also think that antisemitism is talked about too much, with 36% agreeing with the statement as opposed to the 15% elsewhere.
Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.
