The Jewish Coniniunity Center of Metropolitan Detroit

1998 Jewish book Fair Would Like
To Thank You For Supporting
This Wonderful Event

Anti-Semitism
Waning

Survey finds anti-Semitic views on decline
but still high among blacks.

education more likely to harbor anti-
Jewish
feeling.
Special to The Jewish News
But African Americans at all educa-
tional levels were found more likely to
mericans' attitudes toward
hold such views.
Jews are improving overall,
The ADL's survey of 999
but African Americans are
Americans over the age of 18 was
nearly four times more like-
based on an "index of anti-Semitic
ly than whites to hold anti-Jewish
belief" developed in 1964 by
beliefs, a new survey has found.
researchers at the University of
A survey released Monday by the
California
for the ADUs baseline study
Anti-Defamation League indicates
of
American
anti-Semitism and preju-
that the number of American adults
dice.
with strongly anti-Jewish views has
The index groups responded in one
dropped from 20 percent to 12 per-
of three categories of increasing anti-
cent since 1992, when the agency last
Jewish feeling, based on responses to
conducted a survey of such attitudes.
11 key questions concerning percep-
And the number of respondents
tions
of American Jews.
who do not hold anti-Semitic views
Fewer
Americans today answered
has increased from 39 percent in 1992
that
Jews
have "too much control" on
to a present majority of 53 percent.
either
Wall
Street or the American
The study measured only attitudes,
news
media.
rather than actual acts of anti-Semitic
But there was a slight increase,
violence.
from 21 percent to 24 percent, in
ADL National Director Abraham
Americans who said that "the movie
Foxman attributed the improvement
and television industries are pretty
in attitudes to education and advocacy
much run by Jewish executives." A
by groups such as the ADL and the
solid
majority of respondents believe
American Jewish Committee, though
that
"the
people who run the TV net-
he said there was no "exact science of
works
and
major movie studios do.
cause and effect." He also credited
not share the moral and religious
mass communication with promoting
beliefs of most Americans" — but
"a greater openness of people interact-
they did not "think the programming
ing" and commended the efforts of
decisions of network executives are
political leaders who have spoken out
influenced by the fact that they
against hate, including anti-Semitism.
might be Jewish," according to the
The last reason, Foxman said,
report.
"Americans are doing well, and when
The survey, whose margin of sam-
they're doing well, there is less of a
pling error is plus or minus 3 percent,
need to scapegoat. When it comes to
highlighted black-Jewish relations as
scapegoating, Jews are the top of the
an area of lingering concern, despite
hit parade."
improvements.
The survey, conducted in October
It found that 34 percent of black
by the Boston firm of Marttila
Americans
fall into the most anti-
Communications/Kiley & Co., con-
Semitic
category,
compared to 9 per-
firms trends over the last three decades
cent
for
white
Americans.
These
in which the number of Americans in
results are down slightly from 1992.
the "most anti-Semitic" segment of the
Foxman pointed to the anti-
population has dropped steadily.
Semitic
rhetoric of African American
Age and education were seen as the
leaders
—
such as the Nation of
most important indicators of anti-
Islam's
Louis
Farrakhan and Million
Semitic attitudes, with those over 65
Youth
March
organizer Khalid
and those with only a high school
Muhammad — as having fostered vir-
ulently anti-Semitic stereotyping
Julia Goldman is a writer for the
among some African Americans. D
Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

JULIA GOLDMAN

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11/2

1998

Detroit Jewish News 15

