Anti-Semetism at an all time low of 12 percent amongst Americans

A nation-wide survey of American people released by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) finds that at least 12 percent retain anti-Semitic attitudes.

The survey said it represented a decline from the 15 percent who held similar views in 2007 and matching the lowest figure ever recorded by ADL, in 1998.  

In its 1964-benchmark survey 29 percent of Americans were categorized as having anti-Semitic views, reports The Jerusalem Post.

The 2009 Survey of American Attitudes Toward Jews in America, a national telephone survey of 1,200 American adults, was conducted September 26-October 4, 2009 by Marttila Communications of Washington, D.C. and Boston. The margin of error is +/- 2.8 percent.

The findings reinforce certain trends

--  Education remains a strong predictor of anti-Semitic propensities, with the most well-educated Americans largely free of prejudicial views while less educated Americans are more likely to hold anti-Semitic views.

--  19.5 percent of Americans with less than a college education hold anti-Semitic views, a significantly higher figure than the overall 12 percent.

--  The major manifestations of anti-Semitic attitudes lie in the accusation of disproportionate Jewish power among those holding anti-Semitic views.

--  79 percent of those holding anti-Semitic views believe that Jews have too much power in business, compared to 18 percent of the general population.

--  68 percent accuse Jews of controlling Wall Street, compared to 15 percent overall.

--  64 percent say that Jews have too much power in the U.S. compared to 13 percent overall.

--  Once again, the survey found a major gap between foreign-born Hispanic attitudes toward Jews and for those born in the U.S.
      
--  35 percent of foreign-born Hispanics hold anti-Semitic views, compared to 18 percent for those born in the U.S. This finding holds out the hope that children of Hispanic immigrants, exposed to America's diverse society and education, will continue to move away from classical anti-Semitic attitudes.

--  Attitudes towards Jews in the African-American community continue to be of concern though in this survey there is a significant decline in those holding anti-Semitic views.

--  28 percent of African-Americans fall into the category of those holding anti-Semitic views, a lowering from the high of 37 percent in 1992 and 32 percent in 2007.

--  At all age levels, men are more likely than women to hold anti-Semitic views.  Between the ages of 18-39, 16 percent of men compared to 12 percent of women hold anti-Semitic views; between the ages of 40-64, 12 percent of men and 10 percent of women hold anti-Semitic views, and 65 and older, 15 percent of men and 9 percent of women hold anti-Semitic views.

In measuring anti-Semitic attitudes the survey relied upon an anti-Semitism index developed by ADL and the University of California over 45 years ago.