One in 5 Europeans believes an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that a hidden network of Jews influences the world’s economy and politics, according to a new poll.
The survey was conducted in December and January and questioned some 16,000 people from 16 European countries, including Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, according to the Times of Israel. The results were released on Monday in Paris at an event by the European Jewish Association. The Action and Protection League of Europe, a Hungary-based group that monitors anti-Semitism, conducted the research.
More than 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust in World War II, but the poll found that one-fifth of respondents agreed with the statement, “Jews exploit Holocaust victimhood for their own needs.” Over one-third agreed with the statement, “During World War II, people from our nation suffered as much as Jews.”
One thousand adults were polled during face-to-face interviews in each of the 16 countries surveyed. According to the Action and Protection League of Europe, respondents were asked 45 questions related to Jewish people and Israel. The poll reportedly had a 0.8% margin of error.
The data comes after a November survey by the Anti-Defamation League, which found that 24% of Western Europeans harbor anti-Semitic attitudes.
“These findings serve as a powerful wake-up call that much work remains to be done to educate broad swaths of the populations in many of these countries to reject bigotry, in addition to addressing the pressing security needs where violent incidents are rising,” said Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt after the results of that poll were released.
