Majority Of Americans Say Jews And Muslims Face Rising Discrimination
NEW YORK — Most Americans — and nearly 90% of Jews — said they have seen a rise in antisemitism since the Oct. 7 terror attacks against Israel, according to a new study.
The same survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center that was made public on Tuesday, also found that a majority claim Muslims face a lot of discrimination in the United States. Some 70% of Muslims say they have seen a rise in Islamophobia since Oct. 7.
Pew also found that 1 in 10 Americans said people should be allowed to call for violence against Jews or Muslims. By contrast, 73% said such calls should be prohibited.
READ: Colleges Plagued By Antisemitism As Israel-Hamas War Rages On
The survey comes following widespread reports of rising antisemitism, especially on college campuses, and Islamophobia across the United States since the Israel-Hamas war broke out six months ago.
“Many Americans particularly sense that discrimination against Muslims and Jews has risen since the start of the Israel-Hamas war,” the study said. “The vast majority of U.S. Muslims and Jews themselves agree.”
Here are a few highlights from the study’s findings:
— The share of U.S. adults who said there is a lot of discrimination against Jews in American society has doubled (from 20% to 40%) since Pew last polled Americans on the question in 2021.
— 70% replied that they expressed support for “Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.” By contrast, 58% said expressing opposition to Israel’s right to exist should be allowed.
— 66% claimed speech supporting “Palestinians having their own state” should be allowed. By contrast, 61% said speech opposing a Palestinian state should be allowed.
— 74% of U.S. Jews and 60% of U.S. Muslims surveyed said they have felt offended by something they saw on the news or social media regarding the Israel-Hamas war.
— 27% of Muslims and 26% of Jews said they have stopped talking to someone in person, or unfollowed or blocked users online, because of something that person said about the ongoing war.
At the same time, the vast majority of U.S. Muslims surveyed (85%) said there is at least some discrimination against people who practice Islam in the United States, including 67% who say there is a lot.
Overall, Pew found that Muslim respondents were “more likely to feel” there is at least some discrimination against their own religious group than to say the same about Jews (50%).
Meanwhile, Pew found that “an overwhelming majority of U.S. Jews” (94%) said there is at least some discrimination against those who practice Judaism in the United States, including 72% who say there is a lot. More said there is a lot of discrimination against Jews than said the same about Muslims (57%).
Like the public overall, the poll found that a large majority of U.S. Jews are “in favor of allowing people to express support for Israel’s right to exist” (92%). Majorities of Jews also said speech either supporting (77%) or opposing (74%) Palestinians having their own state should be allowed.
But Jews are less likely, Pew found, to say this about speech opposing Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state: 55% said this kind of speech “should be allowed,” while 34% said “it should not be allowed.”
Similarly, a majority of Muslims living in the U.S. said speech supporting a Palestinian state should be allowed (70%). About half of Muslims said people should be allowed to express support for (47%) or opposition to (50%) Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.
The survey, taken in February, polled more than 12,600 people and had an overall margin of error of 1.5%.
Clemente Lisi is the executive editor of Religion Unplugged. He previously served as deputy head of news at the New York Daily News and a longtime reporter at The New York Post. Follow him on X @ClementeLisi.