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ADL Study Finds There Is No Epidemic of Anti-Semitism in the U.S.

(Volokh Conspiracy) David Bernstein - Over the last several years, concern about a purported dramatic increase in anti-Semitism in the U.S. has gripped the American Jewish community. Concerns about rising manifestations of anti-Semitism have been reasonable, as people with strong anti-Semitic views have become more active, more visible, and more willing to express their views publicly. The ADL just released a new study on anti-Semitic attitudes among Americans. While belief in stereotypes about Jews remains widespread, the ADL found that only 11% of American adults believed in six or more of the 11 stereotypes tested, which is tied for the lowest percentage ever. By contrast, the first year the ADL undertook this study, the figure was 29%. The problem of anti-Semitism in the U.S. is a problem of the far left and far right fringes, and the way social media, technology, partisanship, and the decline of media gatekeepers has allowed them to have a much louder voice. For those who thought that the U.S. was heading toward the sort of commonplace, mainstream anti-Semitism prevalent in some European countries, you can breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now. The writer is professor and executive director of the Liberty & Law Center at the George Mason University Law School.
2020-01-31 00:00:00
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