(Jewish Group) Antisemitism 'deeply rooted' in German society
Anew study has bad news on antisemitism in Germany. Far-right sympathizers and observant Muslims bear the brunt of the blame, but all corners of society have their blindspots.Germany's security services registered 3,028 antisemitic crimes in 2021. That is the highest official count since police statistics started tracking the figures.
Now, the American Jewish Committee contracted the Allensbach Institute to conduct a representative survey on societal attitudes towards Jews. It shows that antisemitism is not just a problem on Germany's political peripheries, but is "deeply rooted" in mainstream society.
While the issue is most prevalent among the far-right and observant Muslims, according to the study, 60% of those polled said antisemitism is "somewhat" or "definitely" widespread. About two-thirds see the problem as having grown in the last decade, with the worst cause viewed as coming out of far-right extremist circles, followed by anti-Israel attitudes, and Islamist influence.
The survey focussed especially on Muslims living in Germany. 31% of Muslim respondents saw anti-Israel views are the main reason for anti-Jewish sentiment, while overall only 21% of respondents said so. More than half of the Muslims polled said that antisemitism is widespread in Germany and that it has gotten worse in the last decade.
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