Jews in Europe Report a Surge in Anti-Semitism [View all]

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BRUSSELS — Fear of rising anti-Semitism in Europe has prompted nearly a third of European Jews to consider emigration because they do not feel safe in their home country, according to a detailed survey of Jewish perceptions released Friday by a European Union agency that monitors discrimination and other violations of basic rights.

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The Vienna-based agency, in a lengthy report on its findings, did not reach any conclusions about the cause of a perception among European Jews of rising bias. But the results of its survey suggest that prejudices traditionally associated with far-right nationalist political groups like those that collaborated with the Nazis during World War II have now spread to other segments of society and are increasingly driven by conflict in the Middle East rather than homegrown bigotry.

One-third of respondents said they considered statements critical of Israel as anti-Semitic.

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The survey gathered information from nearly 6,000 Jews living in Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia and Sweden. The data was collected online by respondents who identified themselves as Jewish, but Mr. Kjaerum said the process nonetheless provided a “fairly representative” sampling of views.

Jewish groups in countries like France have long warned that Europe’s economic crisis, lingering prejudice and a surge of Muslim immigrants often hostile to Israel have stoked a revival of hostility toward Jews. But the new survey, released on the eve of the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht violence against Jews in Nazi Germany, gives the first detailed snapshot of Jewish perceptions of the problem across Europe.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/09/world/europe/jews-in-europe-report-a-surge-in-anti-semitism.html