Society: Anti-Semitism on the Rise in Europe, According to Anti-Defamation League Report

The current Great Recession resembles the 1930s Great Depression in various ways, such as ...

... a new study reports widespread anti-Semitism in France and across Europe.

The survey, completed in January and released Tuesday by the New York-based Anti-Defamation League, finds that 24% of the French population holds anti-Semitic views, up from 20% in 2009.

When asked if violence against Jews is rooted in anti-Jewish or anti-Israel sentiment, four in 10 Europeans (39%) responded that it was the result of anti-Jewish sentiment.

The survey found particularly high levels of anti-Semitism in three nations.

"In Hungary, Spain and Poland, the numbers for anti-Semitic attitudes are literally off the charts and demand a serious response from political, civic and religious leaders," said Foxman.

In Spain, where Jewish civic groups say Spaniards blame their economic woes on the country's Jews, 72% of the population holds anti-Jewish views, compared with 64% in 2009. In Hungary, 63% of the population holds anti-Semitic views, up from 47% in 2009. In Poland, 48% show anti-Semitic attitudes, about the same as 2009.

By comparison, attitudes toward Jews in the United States are far more positive. The most recent ADL study, completed in October, found 15% of the population holds anti-Semitic views.

Still, nearly one in five Americans at the time said Jews probably have too much influence on Wall Street, a significant uptick from the previous study. As in other countries, tough economic times in the U.S foment age-old myths about Jewish control of the economy, the authors said.

For more, see Anti-Semitism on the Rise in Europe, According to Anti-Defamation League Report by Lauren Markoe, March 21, 2012 at The Huffington Post.