January 27, 2013

(JTA) — A new survey on how Frenchmen perceive Jews revealed widespread anti-Semitism alongside high support for Israel and pro-Jewish sentiments. 

The survey, conducted earlier this month by the polling company Market Watch among 1,000 respondents, showed 39 percent of the men and women who replied agreed with the statement that “Jews possess too much power in business.” Another 21 percent disagreed and 40 percent said they were neutral.

Forty-seven percent of respondents said French Jews were more loyal to Israel than to France, while only 15 percent disagreed. The poll, published on Jan. 24 by the World Zionist Organization, which commissioned it, was performed online on Jan. 13 via a platform developed by the IPSOS polling firm.

But when asked about their sentiments regarding French Jews, 43 percent said they had a “positive” view and 53 percent said they were neutral. Only four percent said they had negative views of Jews.

Asked about their views on Israel, 20 percent said they had a “favorable” view of the Jewish state; 61 percent said they were neutral and only 19 percent said they had a negative opinion of Israel.

Fifty-four percent of respondents said “anti-Jewish sentiments” were the source of violent incidents targeting Jews; 19 percent attributed violence against Jews to “anti-Israel sentiments” and 27 percent had no opinion on the matter. 

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