I'm Not Exactly Comforted by the Fact Nearly Half of All Adults in the World Hate Jews

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a survey which concluded that nearly half of all adults in the world (46%) have deeply held anti-Semitic beliefs. That's an estimated 2.2. billion people and is nearly double the figure it was when the ADL first began conducting this survey in 2014. 

Mind you, this survey was conducted among 58,000 people in 103 countries and the results are skewed to some degree. There's a world of difference in anti-Semitism in Russia (62% or 71.1 million people) and Ukraine (36% or 11.2 million people). Or Saudi Arabia (92% or 21.8 million people) and Sweden (5% or 416,000 people).

Yet anti-Semitism is on the rise on Sweden and the rise occurred after Hamas attack against Israel. The fact that people in Sweden and elsewhere hate Jews more after Jews were taken hostage, raped and murdered does not bode well for civilized society. 

Despite the fact that anti-Semitism is far more prevalent in some countries than in others, it is in ascendance with more room to grow. This has been laid bare by the events of October 7th. In Australia, one in five adults harbor deeply rooted anti-Semitic attitudes. These attitudes are coming home to roost with increasing acts of arson against Australian synagogues. I'm afraid it won't be long before we see deadly attacks against Jews who worship at these synagogues. 

What is especially troublesome is that adults under 35 are more likely to exhibit anti-Semitic sentiments than adults over 50. By 2035, perhaps 60% of the world's adult population will admit to hating Jews. I shudder to think what life will be like for Jews when those adults now under 35 come of age and attain political power. 

Mind you, I have long held a bad feeling that Jews will be vulnerable once all Holocaust survivors are no more and no one remaining to tell succeeding generations of what happened to them. Indeed, I believe this is already under way. More than half of all adults in the world (52%) either a) don't know about the Holocaust b) don't believe it happened or c) believe it has been exaggerated. 

It would therefore not shock me that by the end of my lifetime that Jews in most parts of the world including the United States will have a subjugated legal status and be restricted in employment, housing and participation in public life. Nor would it shock me that when my life does come to an end my cause of death will be as a result of being a Jew. 

Should this come to pass, I would rather die standing than to live on my knees.