Study Shows Stereotyping of Jews Continuing Sympathy for Jews As Victims of Persecution is Ending

While an increasing majority of Americans perceive anti-Semitism to be on the wane, studies of specific ### that negative stereotyping of Jews ### and that sympathy for Jews as victims at persecution is eroding. Those conclusions were contained in a nationwide survey of race relations. America conducted by the Louis Harris organization for the National Conference of Christians and Jews the results of which were released here yesterday.

The poll dealt primarily with Black-white race relations. But the findings on “perceived prejudice about Jews” indicated, according to the pollsters, that in the event of overt and more ###tle forms of anti-Semitism, non-Jews are far less likely to rally to the defense of Jews than was ###se a few years ago.

The survey found that only eight percent of Americans presently feel that anti-Jewish prejudice ###sing, down from 11 percent, and that 82 percent of non-Jews report largely “pleasant and easy” relationships with Jews. A lopsided majority of 80 percent feel that Jews are not discriminated against. But the poll found that one in four non-Jews feel that “Jews are imitating because they are too aggressive, “that ” Jews are more loyal to Israel than America and that “most slumlords are Jewish.”The pollsters reported that there have also been dramatic shifts downward in the number of non-Jews who believe in positive stereotypes about Jews and the percentage of non-Jews who recognize that “Jews have suffered from persecution through the centuries” has declined from 87-75 percent.

The pollsters found that Blacks tend to be more anti-Jewish than any other group and Jewish attitudes toward Blacks also tended to harden. The survey reported, however, that by a 38-36 percent plurality, Blacks felt that “Jews have supported rights for minority groups more than other white people” while 37-28 percent of white non-Jews think this is not the case. The study concluded that there is an urgent need for serious attention to the entire area of Black-Jewish relations by organizations promoting cooperation and understanding among races and religions.