Belief in conspiracy theories is a top predictor of antisemitism, research finds
A new study suggests that authoritarian tendencies and a conspiracist outlook are significant predictors for antisemitism
A new study investigated what qualities are most likely to predict whether someone harbors antisemitic beliefs. Photo by iStock by Getty Images
New research has found that political ideology isn’t a primary factor in determining whether someone might harbor antisemitic beliefs. In a recent study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, a research team found that antisemitic attitudes are most strongly associated with a “conspiracist view of the world, a desire to overturn the social order, and a preference for authoritarian forms of government.”
The researchers, led by Kings’ College social scientist Dr. Daniel Allington, suggest that a desire to upend the social order is the strongest predictor for “Generalized Antisemitism,” an indicator the researchers defined to include some forms of anti-Zionism.
The team surveyed roughly 2,000 participants, and released their survey data alongside the code they used to generate the results.
“It is neither the left nor the right per se that threatens Jews,” the researchers concluded, but rather those with “a conspiracist view of world affairs, as well as those who desire to overthrow the social order, and those attracted to the idea of installing or living under a totalitarian regime.”
The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Dive In
-
Fast Forward Brad Lander woos Jewish voters in NYC mayoral race with Talmud and Hebrew
-
Fast Forward Trump administration condemns destructive pro-Palestinian protest at University of Washington
-
Fast Forward Government reviewing visas of pro-Palestinian protesters who occupied Columbia library, after about 75 arrests
-
Fast Forward Temple suspends second student involved in ‘F— the Jews’ sign
Most Popular
- 1
News School Israel trip turns ‘terrifying’ for LA students attacked by Israeli teens
- 2
Culture Cardinals are Catholic, not Jewish — so why do they all wear yarmulkes?
- 3
Fast Forward Why the Antisemitism Awareness Act now has a religious liberty clause to protect ‘Jews killed Jesus’ statements
- 4
Music After decades of waiting, we’re finally getting a Bob Dylan-Barbra Streisand duet
In Case You Missed It
-
Yiddish וואָס צוויי פּאָעטן האָבן געשריבן וועגן זייערע מאַמעסWhat these two Yiddish poets wrote about their mothers
מאַני לייב און ראַשעל וואַפּרינסקי, וואָס זענען יאָרן לאַנג געווען ראָמאַנטיש פֿאַרבונדן, באַשרײַבן ביידע דער מאַמעס פֿרומקייט.
-
Fast Forward Brad Lander woos Jewish voters in NYC mayoral race with Talmud and Hebrew
-
Fast Forward Trump administration condemns destructive pro-Palestinian protest at University of Washington
-
Opinion 80 years after Germany surrendered, we’re still learning the real lessons of World War II
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
Republish This Story
Please read before republishing
We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines.
You must comply with the following:
- Credit the Forward
- Retain our pixel
- Preserve our canonical link in Google search
- Add a noindex tag in Google search
See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.
To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.