A new survey reveals that 34% of French adults hold antisemitic views, with 10% falling into the most extreme category, combining entrenched prejudice with tolerance for violence. The study also uncovered disturbing attitudes among students: of those who witnessed antisemitic acts, 30% approved of theft or damage to Jewish students’ property, 26% condoned physical violence, and 20% supported the isolation or exclusion of Jewish students.
Among the most radical segment of the population, 35% express sympathy for Hamas, 48% describe Israel’s creation as a racist project, and fewer than half—just 43%—consider the Holocaust a monstrous crime.
Published by the Institut français d’opinion publique (IFOP) in collaboration with the American Jewish Committee and the Fondation pour l’innovation politique, the survey shows that millions of French citizens not only harbor hostility toward Jews but also justify acts of violence against them. Researchers describe this as one of the most disturbing portraits of antisemitism in France in years, highlighting the persistence of old hatreds in new, volatile forms.
The survey shows a stark generational divide. While only 2% of French seniors express sympathy for Hamas, the figure rises to 14% among those under 35. Nearly one in four respondents under the age of 25 were classified in the most extreme antisemitic cluster, making young adults significantly more likely than older citizens to condone violence or support Hamas.
The findings also reveal that support for Hamas has taken root in specific communities. Among French Muslims surveyed: 45% described the October 7 massacre in Israel as an act of resistance, compared with 10% of the general population. 19% expressed sympathy for Hamas.Majorities endorsed longstanding antisemitic stereotypes: 59% said Jews hold too much power in the media, 55% in politics, and 56% claimed Jews exploit Holocaust victimhood.
These attitudes have manifested in streets and schools across France. The Interior Ministry recorded 1,676 antisemitic acts in 2023, nearly 60% targeting individuals. Before October 7, authorities logged about 40 cases per month. After Hamas’s attack, the rate of antisemitic incidents surged by over 1,000%. Since that day, one in four French Jews reported being targeted, ranging from insults to threats and physical assault.
