Anti-Defamation League study finds anti-Semitic sentiment pervasive

Anti-Semitism remains prevalent around the world, with one in four adults surveyed in a new international study expressing anti-Jewish sentiment.

The Anti-Defamation League Global 100 Index found someone to be anti-Semitic if they answered "probably" or "definitely" true to six or more of 11 stereotypes about Jews offered on the survey.

The survey, which the league called "the broadest survey of anti-Jewish attitudes ever conducted", found the lowest level of anti-Semitism in Laos, with just 0.2 per cent of the adult population expressing such views. The highest level of anti-Semitism was found in the Palestinian territories of West Bank and Gaza at 93 per cent.

Greece was the most anti-Semitic country in western Europe, with 69 per cent of the adults surveyed expressing such opinions and Sweden, with four per cent, was the least. In the United States it was nine per cent.

"Our findings are sobering but sadly not surprising," said the league's National Director Abraham Foxman.

"Jews are more loyal to Israel than to this country/to the countries they live in", was the most commonly accepted stereotype, with 41 per cent of 53,100 respondents surveyed across 101 countries and the West Bank and Gaza saying that it was at least "probably true".