In 2018 and 2019, antisemitism surged as a mainstream threat in American society, with a significant increase in incidents and the horrific massacre of Jews at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. ADL has been conducting research on antisemitic attitudes since the 1960s, and so to understand this moment, ADL initiated a new study about American opinions about Jews.
The findings then seemed counterintuitive: Just 11 percent of Americans harbored extensive antisemitic attitudes, one of the lowest numbers ever recorded. But this was not necessarily contradictory.
Firstly, we believed that while the American people overall hadn’t become more antisemitic, the 11 percent who subscribed to hateful tropes represented about 30 million adults. In a country of about 7.5 million Jews, this was a sobering finding in and of itself.
What had apparently changed was a willingness by some of those 30 million to act on those beliefs as never before.
Recall the environment at that time: increasing political polarization, spiraling hate speech on social media, and troubling rhetoric coming from the Trump White House. Americans per se were not becoming more antisemitic, but it seemed that those who already were infected with those beliefs felt increasingly emboldened to act on them.
Unfortunately, the situation has worsened since then: ADL’s new research, conducted in September and October of last year, has revealed a substantial deterioration in the views of non-Jewish Americans toward their Jewish neighbors.
The survey found that 20 percent of people harbored extensive antisemitic sentiment, a dramatic leap from the 11 percent in the last survey and the highest number that we have seen in three decades. Today, a staggering 66 million American adults believe in six or more antisemitic tropes in the ADL Index, the highest level since 1992 and much closer to the highest finding of 29 percent in 1969.
This suggests a level of mainstreaming that we haven’t seen in decades. It is reflected in popular culture, in the explosion of antisemitic incidents, and in the increasing lack of shame about publicly manifesting antisemitism — a loss of shame that, too, is new.
Those of us on the front lines have expected such results — and yet the data remains stunning and sobering. There is an alarming increase in antisemitic views and hatred across nearly every metric at levels unseen for decades.
We’re talking about huge numbers of people subscribing to some of the most dangerous ideas about Jews — ideas that historically have led to violence. The notion of Jewish control of government, for example, fueled the horrifying antisemitic attacks in Pittsburgh and Poway, Calif., as well as the hostage crisis that unfolded a year ago in Colleyville, Texas.
Social media has acted as a super spreader to circulate this virus. It has shared such toxins without restraint to all corners of the world. Meanwhile, elected officials and political candidates from both parties have granted mainstream acceptability to the idea that Jews are “more loyal” to Israel than to the U.S.
Our research has also found inflammatory anti-Israel rhetoric contribute to increases in antisemitic incidents as well. It shouldn’t surprise us that demonizing the Jewish state can prompt people to demonize Jewish people. Indeed, our latest survey found 39 percent of respondents believe that Israel at least somewhat treats Palestinians the “way that Nazis treated Jews” — an obviously false and slanderous claim.
And let’s not forget the horrific antisemitic remarks uttered by several celebrities last year, including rapper Kanye West, who excoriated Jews for “controlling” the music industry and taking advantage of artists for profit. When an artist of global renown like Kanye gives voice to these hateful — and I should note, false — antisemitic tropes, his words are amplified to his scores of millions of followers and far beyond, validating the belief systems of those already previously infected with antisemitic views, and drawing others in in the process.
Coming at a time when antisemitic incidents are already at historic levels — in 2021, ADL counted the highest number of incidents in the 40-plus years we have been tracking the data — the disturbing increase of antisemitic attitudes in America should serve yet another wake-up call that something is wrong in society, that we have reached a dangerous inflection point.
Like all forms of hate, antisemitism does not emanate from a single source and there is no magic wand that we can wave to stop it. We need leaders from all segments of society to speak out against it. And more than anything, leaders need to meet the occasion by showing a willingness not only to condemn the other side’s role in surging antisemitism, but their own as well.
This research must serve as a wake-up call to the entire country. We need proactive strategies to address antisemitism, and for many Americans that process must start with an inward look into their own communities and political parties. There’s no silver bullet to fighting antisemitism: it will require a multifaceted approach to tackle this complex and ancient hatred.
Jonathan A. Greenblatt is CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League and the author of “It Could Happen Here.”