A new in-depth survey conducted by the Pew Institute has shed light on the growing perception of discrimination against Jews and Muslims in the United States, particularly in the context of the Israel-Hamas war. The poll found a significant increase in the number of respondents who believe there is “a lot” of discrimination against Jews, from 20% in 2021 to 40% today. Similarly, the number of respondents who believe there is “a lot” of discrimination against Muslims rose from 39% to 44%.

The survey also found that Jewish-American respondents are particularly aware of discrimination against their own community, with 72% answering that there is “a lot” of discrimination against Jews and 94% answering that there is either “a lot” or “some” discrimination. Moreover, 89% of Jewish respondents believe that there has been an increase in discrimination since the start of the war.

Despite this increased perception of discrimination, most Jewish respondents maintained their allegiance to liberal values and solidarity with other minority groups. 57% of American Jews polled also said there is “a lot” of discrimination against Muslims, 52% against Black people, and 27% against Asian people.

The survey also revealed notable differences in perceptions of discrimination among different age groups, with a 29-percentage-point increase in concerns about discrimination against Jews among Americans over 65, compared to an 11% increase among those aged 18-29.

Finally, the survey found that about a quarter of both Jewish and Muslim respondents reported stopping talking to someone or unfollowing them on social media due to their opinions about the war.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)