Even in the state of New York, with the largest Jewish population in the country, one in five believes that the atrocities of Nazi Germany were instigated by the Jews themselves.
This is evidenced by the results of a sociological study of the organization “Claims Conference”, conducted in 50 American states. The survey involved people aged 18 to 39 years.
The study found that 16% of respondents in Louisiana and Tennessee believe that the responsibility for the genocide of Jews lies with the Jews themselves. In Texas and California, 13% of respondents share this opinion, and in South Dakota – 12%. Even in New York State, where Jews account for about 9% of the population, 19% of respondents blamed the Jewish people for the Holocaust.
In total, 11% of Americans consider Jews to be responsible for the Holocaust. At the same time, 59% are sure that this can happen again in the future.
“The results are both shocking and sad. They highlight why we must act now that Holocaust survivors are still with us to voice their stories”, – said Claims Conference head Gideon Taylor.
“We need to understand why we are not doing better in educating the younger generation about the Holocaust and the lessons of the past. This should serve as a wake-up call for all of us and a roadmap for where government officials need to act”.