Anti-Semitism falls in Europe but hostility to Israel grows

Anti-Semitism falls in Europe but hostility to Israel grows

By Bertrand Benoit

Financial Times
27 April 2004

BERLIN--While anti-Semitism has decreased in most of Europe over the
past two years, Europeans harbour increasingly hostile views towards
Israel, according to a survey released yesterday by the
Anti-Defamation League, the US civil rights organisation.

The survey, coinciding with a fall in reported anti-Semitic
incidents in several countries last year, suggests governments are
succeeding in preventing violence in the Middle East spilling over
into Europe through the continent's large Muslim communities.

The poll's findings could also undermine the argument, supported by
some civil rights movements including the ADL itself and think-tanks
in Israel and the US, that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. The
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe holds its
second conference on anti-Semitism in Berlin tomorrow.

Speaking in Berlin yesterday, Abraham Foxman, ADL director, said the
decline in anti-Semitic attitudes since a first survey in 2002
showed European governments, particularly France, were having some
success in defeating anti-Jewish sentiments.

"The good news is that regardless of the methodology we use, there
is a decrease in anti-Semitic attitudes in eight out of the 10
countries surveyed," Mr Foxman said. "The bad news is it seems to be
open season on Israel and the level of criticism is almost beyond
reason."

He denied any link between Israel's deteriorating image in Europe
and the country's policies, saying: "When more than half of
Europeans see Israel as a non-democratic country, then it has very
little to do with (Ariel) Sharon, (Israel's prime minister)."

Mr Foxman hoped "to start a discussion" at the OSCE conference on
how to treat anti-Zionism. The US is sending a delegation to Berlin
led by Ed Koch, former mayor of New York. Colin Powell, secretary of
state, is also attending.

The ADL poll showed the percentage of those harbouring anti-Semitic
prejudices had fallen in France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain,
Italy, Switzerland and Austria, but had risen in the Netherlands and
the UK.

Mr Foxman singled out France as a country where the fight against
anti-Semitism had been the most determined and successful: "A few
years ago, France had the most antisemitic incidents," he said. "It
is now leading the way to show how a country can reverse itself."

France, home to Europe's largest Muslim and Jewish communities, was
condemned after attacks on Jews and Jewish property in 2002 and
2003. A year ago, Michael Melchior, Israeli deputy foreign minister,
denounced it as the most anti-Semitic country in the west.

After the firebombing of a Jewish school last November, Paris
adopted measures to combat prejudice and violence. These, Mr Foxman
said, had led to a 10 percentage-point fall in the number of those
acknowledging anti-Jewish views to 25 per cent.

The survey tested acceptance of stereotypes - that Jews do not care
about gentiles, are willing to use shady practices, are more loyal
to Israel than to their own countries and have too much influence on
business.

The most widespread and persistent prejudice regarded Jews'
"loyalty" to their countries. Most respondents in Germany, Austria,
and Italy said Jewish fellow citizens were "probably" more loyal to
Israel. Only in France and Denmark was the figure below 40 per cent.
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