France: Majority indifferent to Jews leaving France

Via Véronique Chemla:

Véronique Chemla has analyzed the findings of the second part of a survey commissioned by the Fondation du Judaïsme (FJF) and carried out by the polling firm IPSOS. The report looks at 'the evolution of the relation towards the other in the French society'.   Véronique Chemla is critical of the way the questions were formulated and of the findings.

Noteworthy is the fact that only one third of the French worry about Jews leaving France, 60% are unconcerned and 7% rejoice at the prospect of their departure.

- 51% of the French consider that Jews have valid reasons to be afraid of living in France, 16 points up compared to a 2014 survey.

- The French are well aware that Jews are leaving - 26% of respondents qualify the departures as "massive" or "important", 8 points up from 2014. 

- The departures are perceived as being caused by anti-Semitism - 70% think that Jews who emigrate to Israel (and other countries) do so because they fear a rise in anti-Semitism (29 points up from  2014). 

- These departures do not bother a majority of the French and some are happy about it: 60% feel that the fact that Jews are leaving is neither a good nor a bad thing, 33% that it is a bad thing and 7% a good thing.

More on this subject - first part of the survey (2016) -  Poll: Most Frenchmen believe Jews responsible for rise in anti-semitic

Fully 60 percent of Frenchmen believe that Jews bear at least some responsibility for recent rises in anti-Semitism, according to a new poll by the Ipsos market research firm.

According to French media reports, the 18-month study, which was sponsored by the Fondation du judaïsme français, also found that 56% of Frenchmen believe that Jews have a “lot of power” and are richer than average while more than 40% said that Jews are “a little too present in the media.”

Report:

... 51% des Français considèrent désormais que les juifs ont « des raisons d’avoir des craintes de vivre en France », un chiffre en hausse de 16 points par rapport à 2014. De même, le départ de Français juifs pour l’étranger est un phénomène beaucoup mieux appréhendé qu’il y a deux ans (26% le jugent « massif » ou « important », +8 points), et il est désormais fréquemment perçu comme lié à la montée de l’antisémitisme : 70% des Français pensent que les juifs qui émigrent en Israël le font « par crainte de la montée de l’antisémitisme » (+29 points). Pour autant, ces départs laissent la majorité des Français indifférente : 60% jugent que ces départs ne sont « ni d’une bonne, ni d’une mauvaise chose », 33% « une mauvaise chose », 7% « une bonne chose ».