About 60% of respondents admit that Jews in Germany are at risk of violence or verbal attacks. 25% of respondents believe that “in today’s Germany, a repetition of something similar to the Holocaust is possible”.
Every fourth German (27 percent of respondents) adheres to anti-Semitic views. This is evidenced by the results of a survey commissioned by the World Jewish Congress (WJC), published on Thursday, October 24. The survey involved 1,300 people representing all federal states of Germany.
Illustrative are, in particular, reactions to the questions posed by respondents with higher education and an annual income of at least 100 thousand euros, belonging to the so-called elite of society. 28% of them believe that Jews have too much power in the world economy, 26% have too much power in politics. These statements, notes the publication, belong to the classical repertoire of anti-Semites. Almost every second person in this group (48% of respondents) believes that Jews are more loyal to Israel than Germany.
12 percent of all respondents believe that Jews are responsible for most of the wars in the world, 22% believe that Jews are hated for their behavior, and finally, 41% say that Jews talk too much about the Holocaust. Moreover, one in four respondents believes that “in today’s Germany, a repetition of something similar to the Holocaust is possible”.
Every third German is ready to go to protests
About 60% of respondents admit that Jews are at risk of violence or verbal attacks. Most Germans (65 percent) see a threat of anti-Semitism in Germany. At the same time, 36% attribute this to the growing popularity of right-wing parties in Germany. Almost one in five respondents (18%) believe that the reason is immigrants from Muslim countries, and 31% blame the growth of anti-Semitism of Muslim extremists.
Simultaneously with the growth of anti-Semitism, the results of the survey show that the desire to oppose it is growing in society. Two-thirds of respondents representing the so-called elite would sign a petition against anti-Semitism, a third of all respondents would go to the corresponding protests.
Commenting on the results of a poll conducted two and a half months before the attack on the Halle synagogue, World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper that anti-Semitism in Germany has reached a critical point. According to him, Germany has undertaken to prevent the return of intolerance and hatred of Jews. If more than a quarter of society identifies itself with anti-Semitism, then for the remaining three quarters the time has come to defend democracy and tolerance, the Head of the CEC believes.