INFOGRAPHICS – This opinion is shared by 17% of those under 35 and 20% of supporters of La France insoumise, reveals an Ipsos survey carried out for Crif.
More than one in ten French people (12%) believe that the departure of certain Jews to live in Israel or other countries is “instead” a good thing for France. A figure which has doubled compared to 2020. This opinion is shared by 17% of those under 35 and 20% of supporters of La France insoumise (LFI). This is one of the main lessons of the Ipsos survey “Anti-Semitism in France: where are we in 2024?” produced for the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (Crif) and published this Thursday.
More than a year after October 7 and the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, this survey carried out online at the end of September among 1,000 people draws a striking observation on the view that the French have on the anti-Semitism and the situation of their Jewish compatriots.
“Something was released, undoubtedly. A certain hatred of the State of Israel has transformed among some French people into hostility to the Jews.deplores to the Figaro the president of Crif Yonathan Arfi. Likewise, adds Brice Teinturier, the deputy general director of the polling institute, “the indifference of the 56% of French people who say that it is neither a good nor a bad thing is chilling.” “This is linked to the low participation in civic demonstrations against anti-Semitism driven by Yaël Braun Pivet and Gérard Larcher, to which only 182,000 French people attended”adds the pollster.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon's comments fuel anti-Semitism, according to 76% of respondents
According to the survey, nearly nine out of ten French people (89%) believe that “nothing can excuse an anti-Semitic act or word”. 85% think that “Jews are French like the others” and 64% that Judaism “part of French culture”. 66% even believe that it is necessary “do everything” to reassure the Jews and “to prevent” to leave France.
However, 16% of respondents think that “the Jews have a share of responsibility” in the “rising anti-Jewish feelings”. An opinion shared by 19% of people with a diploma below the baccalaureate and 22% of LFI supporters. Likewise, three out of ten French people think “that we are doing too much about the memory of the Shoah”. On the political spectrum, this opinion is shared by 37% of 25-34 year olds, 44% of LFI supporters and 35% of RN supporters.
If 75% of French people believe that the situation in the Middle East is causing a rise in anti-Semitism in France – in one year, the number of anti-Semitic acts, which skyrocketed from October 7, increased by 192% – d Some people accuse certain political figures of adding fuel to the fire. 76% of respondents believe that several statements by rebellious leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon have “contributed” has “stirring up anti-Semitism within the population”. An opinion shared by 83% of socialist supporters and 72% of environmentalist supporters. For Brice Teinturier, the vision “globalized” of La France insoumise, which consists of assimilating the State of Israel, Israeli society, the Jews and the government, and therefore of affirming that all Jews support Benjamin Netanyahu, “creates and maintains a confusion into which anti-Semitism is engulfed and produced”.
46% of French people share at least six “anti-Jewish prejudices”
Regarding the “anti-Jewish prejudice”89% of respondents consider the statement true that “Jews are very united among themselves”49% that they have “very powerful lobbies which intervene at the highest level”. Likewise, 48% of French people believe that “the vast majority of Jews support Israeli policy, including its worst aspects towards the Palestinians”. “This is deeply worrying because this element is nothing more than a pure belief stating that the majority of Jews would be in solidarity with terrible policies and would support Benjamin Netanyahu. This refers to this idea that the Jewish community is homogeneous, uniform and united. What is wrong”comments Brice Teinturier.
More than three out of ten French people believe that Jews are “too present” in the banking and financial sector, that they “love money more than other French people” (32%), et “have too much power” (26%). For 17% of French people, there is even “a few too many Jews” in France… There are around 550,000, less than 1% of the population.
More worrying: 46% of French people share at least six or more anti-Semitic opinions out of the sixteen tested as part of the survey. A figure that has increased by almost ten points since 2020. 27% even share at least nine. This is the case for 34% of supporters of La France insoumise, 34% of workers and 30% of RN supporters.
55% of 25-34 year olds consider at least six prejudices to be true, compared to around 42% on average for other age groups. “What we can assume is that among the 25-24 year olds we have many supporters of the left and the RN. And it is in these two political families that anti-Semitic prejudices are most shared”analyzes Brice Teinturier. Politically, in fact, the belief in at least 6 anti-Semitic prejudices is shared by more than one in two voters of LFI and the RN.
25% of LFI supporters have “sympathy” for Hamas
More than a year after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, 26% of French people believe that we “talk too much” of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “compared to other major conflicts” current world. However, regarding responsibility for the continuation of the conflict, almost as many French people believe that the fault lies with both the Palestinians (20%) and the Israelis (22%).
Concerning the conflict which began on October 7, 47% of French people feel “sympathy” for Israelis and 40% for Palestinians. A figure which rises to 70% among supporters of La France insoumise. Finally, only 6% say they have sympathy for Hamas… compared to 25% among LFI supporters.
