Anti-Semitism in Russia: How attitudes towards Jews have changed

Famous Russian Analytical Center "Levada Center commissioned by the Russian Jewish Congress, conducted a large-scale sociological study of the current state of anti-Semitism in Russia, the first in 20 years.

Фото: Depositphotos

The results showed that with a general increase in xenophobia in Russia, attitudes toward Jews change for the better. For example, in 1990, the Jews considered “honest and decent people” 37% of residents, and in 2016, 54% of respondents think so. At the same time, from 40 to 57%, the number of those who believe that “for Jews money and profit is more important than human relations” has grown.

The study itself has not yet been published. However, Alexey Levinson, head of the Levada Center's socio-cultural research department and Yury Kanner, president of the Russian Jewish Congress, have already expressed their opinions. Interview publishes edition meduza.io.

Opinion Yuri Kanner

We are increasingly confronted with diametrically opposite reactions to different events. On the one hand, we have strong alarmist moods. Recently, the graves in the Jewish cemetery were crushed in Ulyanovsk, and this immediately caused a sharp reaction: horror, look what kind of anti-Semitism in Russia. On the other hand, we often hear that the Jews in our country are as good as they are now, never lived. Therefore, the need arose to understand what is actually happening when there are too many polar points of view around.

Another reason was that during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Russia very seriously reproached Ukraine with anti-Semitism. This led us to the suggestion that such a policy could inflame anti-Semitism in our country too. Today we see that on this subject of statements less and less, the situation calmed down.

In February, an offensive inscription appeared on the reformist synagogue in Simferopol, in Simferopol, and this is just one example of many. Such things caused confusion, bewilderment and a desire to discuss them. It was then that we were faced with the fact that there is simply no serious research on the basis of which we can discuss the problem. And such data is needed to talk with the scientific community, with branches of government

The most notable manifestations of anti-Semitism, one way or another, are associated with those whom we attribute to the elite. The prosecutor on "the Farber case Right in court, he said: "Can a man with the surname Farber steal nothing and be a decent person?" He's the one to the jury! We haven’t dealt with this process before, because few Jews are convicted under criminal articles. But after that they turned on. Recently, in Chelyabinsk, right on the primaries of "United Russia" a man made anti-Semitic statements.

Opinion Alexei Levinson

Attitude towards Israel

Now in Russia, at least inertia, there is still a very positive attitude towards Israel. For Russians, he stood in a number of ordinary countries. In their opinion, this is a good place to relax, there is good medicine.

Russians in general are not very well versed in what is happening in the Middle East and Syria. During the study, we asked questions about previous Arab-Israeli conflicts and, basically, heard from respondents: it is not our business. Most say: "Russia should not take any position in this conflict." The idea that we should help the Arab people in their struggle against Zionism, characteristic of the Soviet era, does not exist for the majority now.

Xenophobia in Russia

We now know, and our studies have confirmed this: the most lively form of anti-Semitism in Russia is common in the elite strata of the population.

At the grassroots level, Jews do not compete with Russians and other nationalities for jobs. And for example, on television there is anti-Semitism, for symbolic resources: which discourse will be in greater demand - cosmopolitan, which is associated with a Jewish approach, or nationalistic. For many people in the media, the Jewish topic is much more alive than for the average person. Therefore, based on the results of our research, we give the following conclusion: in society, anti-Semitism is now at a very low, latent level. But if he appears, he will appear from above.

The Jewish theme is leaving, in the Jews they see fewer undesirable to society. And who wants to publicly demonstrate that he is an anti-Semite?

There really was more envy. But in general, this is an old idea, it is from a set of common characteristics of Jews - they are rich, child-loving. These characteristics also have negative parallels: Jews are greedy, they close themselves off, they drag their own people in everywhere, and so on. This does not depend on the real increase in the welfare of the Jews, but depends on the attitude of people towards this.

It has long been known that the higher the position, the less people want it to be occupied by a representative not of their nationality. So, the Russians believe that Russians should govern them (in the study, all Russians were polled, regardless of nationality - approx. ed.). But when I recently talked about this same thing at a focus group and the conversation reached the highest level, I heard: “So we already had a Jew at the top.” I was surprised - did they remember Trotsky? I ask: “Who is this?” And they told me: “Like who? And Yeltsin?

See also:

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