Antisemitism is widespread in France, and French Jews are justified in feeling unsafe in the republic, a majority of French people believe, according to a Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF) and Ipsos poll published on Tuesday.
The poll of 1,000 people representative of the French population conducted between last Monday and Tuesday found that 68% of respondents believed antisemitism to be a widespread phenomenon.
However, this belief had decreased from previous polls, dropping from 75% in 2020 and 79% in 2024.
Sixty-six percent of participants said that antisemitism had increased over the years, 27% of whom thought it was significantly more widespread. This was higher than the 62% of respondents in a 2020 poll but lower than 70% in 2024.
Sixty-one percent of French people, according to the poll, believe that there are reasons for Jews living in France to be afraid. This perception has increased steadily over time, from 35% in 2014 up to a peak of 64% in 2024.
French Jews weigh in on antisemitism
A plurality of respondents believed that not enough was being done to combat antisemitism, with 46 saying that more action was needed, 33 saying that enough was being done, and 21 saying that too much was being done.
A majority of respondents said that the laws against antisemitic crimes were not severe enough or were not being properly applied. Thirteen percent of respondents believed the opposite.
Regarding the crossover between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, 61% of respondents believed that antisemites were making their ideas more digestible by attacking Israel rather than the Jews.
Thirty-six percent of people believed it was possible to want the destruction of Israel and to not be antisemitic.