A new survey conducted by Blue Square has found a sharp rise in anti-Israel and antisemitic attitudes among younger Americans, along with a growing reluctance to confront antisemitism despite recognizing it as a problem.
The survey found that younger Americans are significantly more likely than older generations to hold negative views of Jews. Among respondents ages 18 to 44, 29% said Jews are “a threat to the unity of American society,” compared to just 13% of those over age 60. Among those ages 18 to 29, 13% said Jews “cause problems in the world,” compared with only 3% of respondents over 60. Nearly one in five young Americans also said insults directed at Jews are not harmful.
One of the survey’s most concerning findings was that only 52% of respondents ages 18 to 29 said Israel has the right to exist. Younger respondents were also more likely to say Jews should deal with antisemitism on their own, believe antisemitism is not a major issue, argue that concerns about antisemitism are exaggerated, and express greater openness to questioning the Holocaust.
The survey also found that while awareness of antisemitism has increased, fewer Americans are willing to take action. The share of respondents who described antisemitism as a “major problem” rose from 40% in June 2023 to 46%, while the percentage who said “Jews can handle antisemitism on their own” climbed from 40% to 55%.
Although 63% of respondents said reading about antisemitic hate crimes made them feel sad and 48% said it made them feel angry, only 16% said they were motivated to take action against future antisemitism. Meanwhile, 42% agreed with the statement, “We must stand up or the lessons of the Holocaust will disappear,” while 40% said antisemitism has been exaggerated beyond proportion.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
