Different Antisemitisms: On Three Distinct Forms of Antisemitism in C | Page 32
comments to more or less the same degree12, this is far from so when the issue is physical
violence and threats. On the contrary, physical attacks and threats are much more often
attributed to those with Muslim extremist views than to any of the other groups we have
discussed here. Hence, even if such attacks and threats do not occur frequently, the fact that
such acts, if and when they occur, are perceived as caused by Muslim extremists, might
constitute a much higher level of fear among Jews in areas where people with Muslim
extremist views live (such as e.g. the city of Malmö in Sweden), than in areas where
antisemitic comments are ubiquitous but where no significant number of people with Muslim
extremist views live (such as in Hungary).
In this context a note of caution is warranted: What has been registered by the FRAstudy is who are perceived as the persons/groups who have uttered the antisemitic comment
and/or launched the antisemitic attack or threat the responding Jews have experienced.
Perceptions are often coloured both by rumours circulating in the public debate and by the
respondents' own stereotypes and prejudices. Nevertheless, these perceptions might of course
still be accurate and regardless of whether they are or not, they constitute a significant
sociological fact in and of themselves.
Discussion and conclusions
Our study has led us to distinguish between three different kinds of antisemitism.
One of them is based on classic antisemitic stereotypes. We refer to this as Classic
antisemitism. There is a clear racist component in this kind of antisemitism, and also a
strong element of conspiratorial thinking.
Another of these antisemitisms consists of accusations and attacks on Jews because
they are Jews, referring to Israel and actions taken by the Israeli state. There is a
strong political component in this kind of antisemitism, and a certain degree of
conspiratorial thinking is also involved here. We have labelled this kind of
antisemitism Israel-derived antisemitism.
A third kind of what might be perceived as antisemitism is the critique of core Jewish
practices. There are often (but probably not only) humanitarian concerns and liberal
ideas about the individual’s right to choose for him-/herself and concern for the well-
12
In most but not all countries left-wingers are actually somewhat more often than Muslim extremists perceived
as the source of antisemitic comments, and both of these groups generally (with the exception of Hungary and
Latvia) more often so than right-wingers and much more often than Christian extremists.
32