A troubling new report from the Anti-Defamation League shows that although most Americans oppose antisemitism, a significant portion—one in four—believes that recent violent incidents targeting Jews in the U.S. were “understandable.”
The findings follow a wave of assaults carried out by individuals claiming to act in solidarity with Palestinians. These include the April arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence, the shooting of two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington, D.C. in May, and the firebombing of a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado last month.
“As the Jewish community is still reeling from recent antisemitic attacks that killed three people, it’s unacceptable that one-quarter of Americans find this unspeakable violence understandable or justified — an alarming sign of how antisemitic narratives are accepted by the mainstream,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, in a statement condemning the results.
The survey was conducted by the ADL’s relatively new Center for Antisemitism Research, which aimed to measure how the American public views antisemitism in the wake of these attacks.
The data revealed that 60% of Americans acknowledge antisemitism as a serious concern, and approximately 75% expressed a desire for stronger governmental efforts to fight it. Notably, Democrats were nine percentage points more likely than Republicans to view antisemitism as a serious issue.
The overwhelming majority of those polled rejected the recent attacks, with at least 85% saying the violence was unjustified and morally wrong, and stating that they would not associate with individuals who celebrated such actions. Seventy-eight percent of respondents recognized the incidents as antisemitic in nature.
However, the June 10 poll of 1,000 adults also found a concerning minority who either rationalized or supported the violence. Around 24% agreed that the attacks were “understandable,” and an equal number subscribed to the theory that the incidents were staged to elicit sympathy for Israel. The ADL noted that about half of those who found the violence understandable also believed the events were false flag operations.
Both the Boulder and Washington attackers reportedly shouted “free Palestine” during the incidents. Meanwhile, the suspect in the arson attack on Governor Shapiro’s home told investigators he acted out of anger over “perceived injustices to the people of Palestine.”
The survey also found that 15% of respondents considered the violence “necessary,” while 13% went as far as to describe it as “justified.” The survey allowed participants to rate their level of agreement with each statement.
Perhaps most notably, 38% of those surveyed said they believed that attacks on American Jews would end if Israel announced a ceasefire in its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
{Matzav.com}