Survey on antisemitism in the US draws grim picture

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) released its 2021 “State of Antisemitism in America” report on Tuesday. The survey, which is the largest and most comprehensive that the AJC has ever conducted, draws a grim picture– showing some 39% of American Jews have changed their behavior out of fear of antisemitism.

The change of behavior included 25% who have avoided posting content online that would enable others to identify them as Jewish or reveal their views on Jewish issues; 22% who have avoided wearing or displaying things that might enable others to identify them as Jewish; and 17% who have avoided certain places, events, or situations due to concerns about their safety or comfort as Jews.

The report surveyed both American Jews and the general American public who are at minimum 18 years old. Both groups were asked about their perceptions and experiences of antisemitism over the past 12 months, including during the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas in May.

Some 1,433 Jews were interviewed, as well as 1,214 adults from the general population. The margin of error for both surveys is +/-3.9 percentage points.

Within the 24% of American Jews who said they were targets of antisemitism over the past 12 months, some 17% said they had been the targets of antisemitic remarks in person, 12% said they had been the targets of antisemitism online or on social media, and 3% said they had been the victims of physical attacks. The survey also found that 41% of Americans of all backgrounds have personally witnessed an antisemitic incident in the last 12 months, with 31% having witnessed more than one.

According to the survey, many of these incidents go unreported. Of those who had been the targets of antisemitism online or through social media, 95% did not report the incidents to police, although almost a fifth (18%) said these incidents made them feel physically threatened, AJC said in a statement.

In addition, almost all (96%) of those who had been a target of an antisemitic remark in person did not report the incidents to the police.

The survey also found differences of views between US Jews and the general public. While 82% of American Jews believe antisemitism has increased over the past five years, only 44% of the general public shares that view.

It also found that about a third of Americans over the age of 18 still are not familiar with the term “antisemitism,” while the other two-thirds have heard of it and know what it means, representing an increase compared to last year.

Among Jewish responders, 53% approve of how President Joe Biden is responding to antisemitism in the United States while 28% disapprove, the survey found. Half of the Jewish responders also said that they believe antisemitism on college campuses has increased over the past five years.

“This critical report confirms that American Jews are deeply concerned about antisemitism in America – and many are limiting their behavior as a result,” AJC CEO David Harris said in a statement.

“That one in four American Jews has been the target of antisemitism over the past year alone, and that four out of ten have taken steps to conceal their Jewishness or curtail their activities as a result, should alarm all Americans.”

The report further covered questions regarding Israel and the BDS movement. 80% of both Jews and the US general public consider the statement “Israel has no right to exist” antisemitic. This includes 92% of Republicans and 83% of Democrats. Similarly, large majorities of both Jews and non-Jews view the statement “American Jews are loyal to Israel and disloyal to America” as antisemitic, with 85% of Jews and 73% of the general public believing that to be the case.

82% of Jews and 63% of the US general public said the BDS movement is either antisemitic as a whole or has antisemitic supporters, with under 15% saying the movement is not antisemitic. Most interestingly, however, is that most Americans surveyed were not very familiar with BDS at all. As far as antisemitism at American universities, 50% of American Jews believe antisemitism on college campuses has increased over the past five years, while 23% said it has stayed the same and 3% said it has decreased.