Survey: on antisemitism and the perception of the State of Israel in Spain
Survey by Sigma Dos for ACOM on antisemitism and the perception of the State of Israel in the Autonomous Region of Madrid
The survey was done by Sigma Dos for ACOM in 5 towns of the Autonomous Region of Madrid between the months of April and May. It focused on the perception of the existence of antisemitism in Spain and the opinion on the State of Israel.
Looking for geographical regional diversity, it was carried out in five of the largest towns in the region: Alcalá de Henares, Alcorcón, Majadahonda, Móstoles, and San Sebastián de los Reyes, with a total population of 739,728, which amount to 12% of the population of the region of Madrid.
The sample includes 3,100 interviews of people of legal age in said towns.
In order to obtain a detailed picture of the ideological profile of those interviewed, the form included questions about their choice of vote in the coming municipal and regional elections.
The orientation of the vote was built around the main candidates in said towns: PP (center right), PSOE (left), Más Madrid (Hard Left), Vox (conservative party), Podemos (Hard Left) and Ciudadanos (liberal party). Candidates with a strict local nature were omitted in the final results shown here.
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The left-wing block block (PSOE, more Madrid and Podemos) perceives Spain as an anti -Semitic. That same voter assumes mostly stereotypes that criminalize the Jewish state. The center block of the center and the right (PP, Vox), are the ones that least recognize Spain as an anti -Semitic country, being naturally more inclined to accept Israel as an open and democratic State.
Those who most think there is antisemitism in Spain are the ones who least see themselves reflected in it, being the most prone to demonising the Jewish State with clichés and prejudice. On the other hand, those who least recognise Spain as an antisemitic country are more naturally inclined to accept Israel as a democratic country.
But in general the negative perception of Israel, the criminalisation and permanent dehumanisation of the Jewish State unfortunately prevail in the Spanish public opinion, instilled by decades of activism and disinformation by the media and academia.
The participants were asked three questions related to antisemitism and Israel:
Do you think that there is antisemitism in Spain today (hatred of Jews)?
Of the following statements, which do you agree most with?:
a) The state of Israel is a country that does not respect the rights of non-Jewish citizens.
b) The state of Israel is a democratic country similar to the European democracies.
Global results
68.82% of the interviewees thought there is no antisemitism in Spain, while 24.2% thought that there is.
27.32% thought The state of Israel is a democratic country similar to the European democracies.
55.48% thought The state of Israel is a country that does not respect the rights of non-Jewish citizens.
According to age bracket
Interviewees aged between 18 and 29 show the largest percentage of those who consider there is antisemitism in Spain; specifically 26.14%.
Also in this bracket, with 61.22% of the interviewees, are those who consider that The state of Israel is a country that does not respect the rights of non-Jewish citizens.
In the bracket between 45 and 64 years of age is where there is a higher percentage of those who consider there is no antisemitism in Spain, with 69.60% of the interviewees.
It is also where the perception that The state of Israel is a democratic country similar to the European democracies obtains the highest percentage, with 30.38%.
According to sex
71.52% of the men interviewed consider that there is no antisemitism in Spain. The percentage is significantly reduced in women, with 66.34%.
31.72% of men answered The state of Israel is a democratic country similar to the European democracies, with 21.76% of women against this statement.
According to vote
Voters of VOX are the ones who mainly consider there is no antisemitism in Spain, with 77.28%. Voters of Más Madrid are who in greater measurer think there is antisemitism in Spain, with 40.58%.
Almost 40% of the voters of VOX, specifically 39.46% of those interviewed, consider that The state of Israel is a democratic country similar to the European democracies.
The percentage of those who consider that The state of Israel is a country that does not respect the rights of non-Jewish citizens reaches similar numbers among voters of Más Madrid and Podemos, with 73.06% and 73.82% respectively.
Situating all parties on an ideological grid, on the one hand PP, VOX, and Ciudadanos, and on the other hand PSOE, Más Madrid, and Podemos, in the first “conservative” block the perception that there is no antisemitism in Spain stands out, 69.89%. In the second “progressive” block, it falls to 58.77%.
In the “conservative” block the perception that The state of Israel is a country that does not respect the rights of non-Jewish citizens is not more than 50%, specifically 48.40%. The percentage rises to 71.58% in the “progressive” block.
Of note is the enormous difference in the percentages of the interviewees of both blocks that prefer not to answer the question Of the following statements, which do you agree most with?: a) The state of Israel is a country that does not respect the rights of non-Jewish citizens. b) The state of Israel is a democratic country similar to the European democracies. While in the “conservative” block 15.72% doesn’t answer the question, in the “progressive” block it is 9.49%.
According to towns
Of the towns included in the survey, the one with the highest percentage of those who think that there is antisemitism in Spain is Alcalá de Henares.
On the other hand, the town where more people think there is not antisemitism in Spain is Majadahonda, with 88.60%.
42.10% of interviewees in Alcalá de Henares consider The state of Israel is a democratic country similar to the European democracies. It is the town with highest percentage that affirms this matter.
The statement The state of Israel is a country that does not respect the rights of non-Jewish citizens has most support in Alcorcón, with 60.6%.
Fact sheet
Population: over 18 years of age.
Scope: resident population with right to vote in the towns of Alcalá de Henares, Alcorcón, Majadahonda, Móstoles, and San Sebastián de los Reyes.
Survey: survey through Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI).
Questionnaire: structured.
Field date: from 27 April to 9 May 2023.
Sample: 3100 interviews. Absolute sampling error can by narrowed down by ±3.8% (±4.5% in the case of San Sebastián de los Reyes) for a confidence level of 95.5% and in the case of variables with two equally distributed categories.
