About the ADL anti-Semitism survey

Here's a post about the survey which asks a lot of people in various countries about such things as whether they think Jews are more loyal to Israel than their own country and whether they think Jews have too much financial power. And a link to this post, which points out that the Anti-Defamation League is biased towards finding anti-Semitism.

Anyway, in the comments, Matt says:

What I find odd and interesting is that the UK has seen plenty of antisemitic incidents. The police lately have been recording something like 10 a day, including violent assaults. Yet this poll shows the UK with numbers comparable to the US - and as longitudinal comparisons at the end of the report show, a decline in what the ADL calls “antisemitic attitudes.”

The ADL has been doing these polls periodically for a long time with roughly the same questions. As disturbing as these numbers are, clearly there’s something not being captured.

And I reply:

Matt, that’s a very interesting point. While I expect that there’s a connection between routine anti-Semitism and literally violent anti-Semitism, it probably isn’t simple.

I wonder if there’s a way for a survey to capture how much and how intensely people focus on their beliefs? Whether there’s more philo-Semitism in the US, and it has a moderating effect? Could the important thing be the balance between fear and anger?

Or maybe the interesting question is willingness to go from belief to action–soemthing like “Have you ever deliberately insulted a person for being Jewish?”.?

About the ADL anti-Semitism survey

Here's a post about the survey which asks a lot of people in various countries about such things as whether they think Jews are more loyal to Israel than their own country and whether they think Jews have too much financial power. And a link to this post, which points out that the Anti-Defamation League is biased towards finding anti-Semitism.

Anyway, in the comments, Matt says:

What I find odd and interesting is that the UK has seen plenty of antisemitic incidents. The police lately have been recording something like 10 a day, including violent assaults. Yet this poll shows the UK with numbers comparable to the US - and as longitudinal comparisons at the end of the report show, a decline in what the ADL calls “antisemitic attitudes.”

The ADL has been doing these polls periodically for a long time with roughly the same questions. As disturbing as these numbers are, clearly there’s something not being captured.

And I reply:

Matt, that’s a very interesting point. While I expect that there’s a connection between routine anti-Semitism and literally violent anti-Semitism, it probably isn’t simple.

I wonder if there’s a way for a survey to capture how much and how intensely people focus on their beliefs? Whether there’s more philo-Semitism in the US, and it has a moderating effect? Could the important thing be the balance between fear and anger?

Or maybe the interesting question is willingness to go from belief to action–soemthing like “Have you ever deliberately insulted a person for being Jewish?”.?

Bet you can't sing along just once!

If your day happens to need a vulture who knits.....

Link thanks to Making Light.

Bet you can't sing along just once!

If your day happens to need a vulture who knits.....

Link thanks to Making Light.