Europe Poll: 82 Percent Say Combating Antisemitism Not a Priority

More than eight in 10 Europeans say combating antisemitism as a matter of policy is not a priority, according to a new poll released by the European Jewish Association (EJA), multiple outlets reported.

Further, more than 20% said they blame Jews in their own European countries for the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, instigated by the Palestinian terrorist group's massacre of more than 1,200 Israelis beginning Oct. 7, 2023, the survey found.

The survey was presented Monday at the EJA's conference in Madrid, Spain, The Times of Israel reported.

"Europe has imported hatred, adding it to the hate that already existed," EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin said, according to the report.

"Most political leaders, university presidents, and European media are still avoiding this conversation. And the longer they avoid it, the more normalized antisemitism becomes, and the worse it becomes for European Jewry."

In addition to the 82% who said combating antisemitism is not a priority, the EJA survey found 28% of Europeans aged 18-24 said they had witnessed or participated in antisemitic remarks disguised as pro-Palestinian activism, most of which happened at the workplace.

"The rise in antisemitism is tearing at the moral fabric of Europe," Margolin said, according to the report. "Jewish communities are the first to suffer, but history shows they are never the last. Europe must act now: Protect its Jews or witness the collapse of the values it claims to stand for."

Ipsos surveyed 4,400 people across six countries — France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium — on behalf of the EJA.

Of the six countries, the U.K. was found to be the most supportive of Jews, while Belgians and Spaniards were the most hostile, according to the survey.

In the U.K., 48% favored action against antisemitism. In Spain, however, the poll found "high rates of blaming Jews and minimal government initiative," while Belgium ranked "lowest in comfort levels and governmental response."

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