2020 AJC Surveys State of Antisemitism in America

Key Findings:

On October 26, 2020, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) issued a report on The State of Antisemitism in America 2020, presenting the findings of two parallel surveys conducted for AJC by SSRS.

The State of Antisemitism in the United States reports include: (1) a summary of general public attitudes and views on antisemitism, (2) a summary of the views and experiences of the Jewish respondents, and (3) a comparison of the views on antisemitism of the U.S. "general public" sample and the Jewish sample.

Divergent Views of Jewish Respondents and U.S. General Public Respondents

88% of American Jews believe antisemitism in the United States is currently a problem (37% of respondents consider it to be a very serious problem and 51% consider it to be somewhat of a problem). In contrast, 63% of the general population agree (19% see antisemitism today as a very serious problem and 43% see it as somewhat of a problem).

Regarding the concept or definition of antisemitism, 53% of American adults say they are familiar with the term and know what it means, 25% said they had heard the term but aren’t sure what it means, and 21% say they have never heard the term before.   

Young people (ages 18-29) are the least familiar with the term antisemitism; 47% say they’ve heard of antisemitism and know what it means, which is less than any other age group. Familiarity with the term antisemitism is linked to education levels: 79% of college graduates know what it means, compared with 58% of those with some college experience, and 27% of those with a high school diploma. 

American Jews and the general public also differed on their beliefs regarding what constitutes antisemitism.  84% of the Jewish and 55% of the general public respondents said the statement “the government only supports Israel because of Jewish money” is antisemitic. And 76% of Jews and 50% of the general public said the statement “American Jews are more loyal to Israel than to America” is antisemitic.

American Jewish Respondent Data

24% percent of American Jews say they have avoided publicly wearing, carrying, or displaying items that might identify them as Jewish since the Tree of Life shooting in October 2018.

37% of American Jews reported being the target of an antisemitic incident in the past five years.

Antisemitism on Campus

Younger American Jews (ages 18-29) were more likely than older respondents (ages 30-49) to have experienced antisemitism, with 41% saying they’ve been victims of an antisemitic incident, compared to 31% of those over 50. 23% of respondents say they or someone they know have experienced antisemitism on a college campus over the past five years while that number rises to 43% of those between the ages of 18 and 29.

Israel and Antisemitsm

Both 2020 surveys found that majorities of Jewish Americans and the general public agree that statements such as "Israel has no right to exist" is a form of anti-Zionism, or Jew hatred. 

Per Avi Mayer’s analysis, Anti-Zionism, or the belief that Israel does not have the right to exist, is viewed by the majority of American Jews as antisemitic. 85% of respondents said the statement “Israel has no right to exist” is antisemitic, compared to 14% who disagreed. The belief that anti-Zionism is antisemitic is shared by large majorities of American Jews of all ages, religious denominations, and political affiliations, with 75% of young people between the ages of 18 and 29, 83% of those between 30 and 49, 93% of those between 50 and 64, and 90% of those 65 or older sharing that belief.

BDS is also addressed in Avi Mayer’s analysis. The more education American Jews have about the BDS Movement, the more likely they are to view it as antisemitic: 52% of those who reported being most familiar with the movement said it is mostly antisemitic, compared to 29% of those who said they are less familiar with it.