Antisemitism rules OK in Arab world

It's no real surprise:  Arab countries are among the most antisemitic on the planet.  Of countries which still have Jews living in them,  what is surprising is  that younger Bahrainis are less antisemitic than their elders, while the converse is true in Morocco. Report in the Times of Israel. (With thanks: Lily)

 

The results are in: Of the 101 countries plus the West Bank and Gaza included in the Anti-Defamation League global survey released on Tuesday, anti-Jewish sentiment was found to be most prevalent in the Middle East and North Africa, with a staggering 74% of respondents harboring anti-Semitic views. All 10 of the world’s most anti-Semitic territories, indeed, are in the Middle East and North Africa.

Below are the top 10 most and least anti-Semitic countries, culled from the survey, which based its findings on surveying 53,100 people from 100 countries worldwide. 

1. West Bank and Gaza: The Palestinian territories were found to be the most staggeringly anti-Semitic in the world with a 93% overall index score. Among specific age groups, 92% of those between the ages of 18-49 were shown to have anti-Jewish views, and the figure jumped to 98% among those 50 and older.

Protesters chant pro-Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki slogans during a demonstration in Basra, Iraq, on Tuesday, January 8, 2013. The poster on the right reads, ‘No Baathists after today.’ (photo credit: AP/Nabil al-Jurani)

2. Iraq: Trailing closely behind, Iraq reached an index score of 92%. While 10 of the questions on the 11-question survey measuring negative stereotypes were answered affirmatively by over 70% of respondents, only a third (33%) believed “Jews still talk too much about what happened to them in the Holocaust.”

Yemeni policemen sit in a pickup truck in front of Sanaa’s International airport (photo credit: AP/Hani Mohammed)

3. Yemen: With an index score of 88%, anti-Semitism was shown to be at its lowest — although still remarkably strong — among participants over the age of 50 (79%), as compared to those between the ages of 35-49 (92%), and those between 18-34 (89%). The statement with the largest consensus was “People hate Jews because of the way Jews behave,” with a 90% approval rate. Like Iraq, the statement least supported on the survey was the one about Jews talking about the Holocaust, with 16% of those interviewed agreeing with it.

Algiers. (photo credit: CC BY Damien Boilley, Flickr)

4. Algeria: At 87%, Algeria tied for fourth place with Libya. Algeria showed a larger gender gap in opinion than the previous countries listed, with 92% of males, and 82% of females harboring anti-Jewish beliefs.

The remains of the Dar Bishi Synagogue in Tripoli, Libya. (photo credit: Courtesy, Meir Kahaolon)

4. Libya: With an 87% index score, the two negative views of the Jews most espoused were the attribution of anti-Semitism to Jewish behavior, and that Jews pledged greater loyalty to Israel than their home countries, at 86% respectively. In 2011, Libyan Jew David Gerbi returned from exile in Italy and was met with protests when he tried to restore a synagogue in Tripoli.

A screenshot taken from amateur footage of the ransacked Beit El synagogue in Sfax, Tunisia (YouTube)

6. Tunisia: At 86%, the Tunisians were more concerned with Jewish international “control,” than previous countries. 85% believed “Jews have too much control over global affairs,” and “Jews have too much power in the business world,” respectively, while 83% said that “Jews have too much power in international financial markets.” Earlier in May, a synagogue in Sfax was ransacked for a third time.

7. Kuwait: With a general score of 82%, the Kuwait results saw the gender gap enlarged even further, with 77% of females as compared to 85% of males endorsing the negative ethnic stereotypes.

After being dispersed by riot police firing tear gas, Bahraini anti-government protesters return to the streets and resume their demonstration in Malkiya, Bahrain in 2012 (photo credit: AP/Hasan Jamali)

8. Bahrain: The general score in Bahrain was 81%, however, the younger respondents until the age of 34 showed significantly lower levels of racism (77%) than their older peers (86%). Despite the anti-Semitism, the country’s ambassador to the US from 2008 to 2013 was Houda Nonoo, a member of the country’s tiny Jewish community.

Blue Stars of David painted in the foyer of the Amman courthouse where Jordanian-Palestinian judge Raed Zeiter, killed while crossing into the West Bank, worked. (photo credit: Michal Shmulovich)

8. Jordan: The negative stereotype most highly rated in Jordan, with a general score of 81%, was “People hate Jews because of the way Jews behave” at 84%. Despite signing a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, many in the country still oppose normalization with the Jewish state.

The Jewish cemetery in Fez is home to more Jewish saints than any other Jewish cemetery in Morocco. (photo credit: Michal Shmulovich)

10. Morocco/Qatar/UAE: With an overall score of 80%, Morocco, Qatar, and UAE took tenth place. The older Moroccans were shown to be less racist than their younger counterparts (75% of those over 50, 79% of 35-49-year-olds, 84% of 18-34-year olds). Qatar, UAE tied in their scores on the following statements: “People hate Jews because of the way Jews behave” (82%); “Jews have too much control over the global media” (70%); Jews have too much control over global affairs (73%) and “Jews have too much power in international financial markets” (71%).

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