New study reveals extent of anti-semitism in Switzerland

A new study has found that a large minority of Swiss people are anti-semitic, with 16 per cent admitting they have strongly negative feelings towards Jewish people.

A new study has found that a large minority of Swiss people are anti-semitic, with 16 per cent admitting they have strongly negative feelings towards Jewish people.

The survey canvassed the opinions of 1,200 people by telephone. Participants were asked several questions, including what they understood by the term “Holocaust”; whether they thought Switzerland had acted correctly during the Second World War; and whether they would like Jewish people as neighbours.

On the question of the Holocaust, the Swiss were found to be less aware what exactly the term “Holocaust” means, and how many Jews were killed, than their European neighbours. Thirty-nine per cent said they thought Jews exploited the issue for their own purposes.

However 81 per cent said they thought it was important that the Holocaust be a required subject in Swiss schools. A further 33 per cent said they thought Jews had too much influence in the world.

David Singer of the American Jewish Committee said he was disturbed by these findings. “What I think is striking is that Jews seem to be seen as problematic in an international context. A third of respondents showed some negative feelings towards Jews, and this has to be troubling.”

On a more positive note, only eight per cent of those surveyed said they would object to having Jewish neighbours. This contrasts with a much larger group, 40 per cent, who said they would not like to live next door to Kosovo Albanians.

The participants were also asked whether they agreed with the statement that “Switzerland has nothing to apologise about for its behaviour towards Jews during World War II”. About 45 per cent agreed, 39 per cent disagreed and 16 per cent gave no answer.

However, 57 per cent said they agreed with the findings of the Bergier Commission, which concluded that Switzerland had turned Jewish refugees away from its borders during the war, even though they were in danger of being killed.

For David Singer, the implications of the findings are clear. “They reveal a country struggling to face up to the reality of its history. Clearly there are some people who are uncomfortable with the historical facts.”

The survey found that anti-semitic tendencies were much less strong among young people, and that the younger generation were much more supportive of the new law against racism and anti-semitism.

“This is a very encouraging finding,” said David Singer. “Across the board the young people have much better attitudes and much greater tolerance. I think if this tendency can be combined with better education in the schools then we have good reason to be optimistic about the future.”

The study was commissioned by the American Jewish Committee, together with CICAD, a Geneva based group, which works against anti-semitism in Switzerland. Similar studies have already been carried out in several other countries, including Britain, France, Sweden and Austria.

by Imogen Foulkes