25% of Israeli Jews fear another Holocaust, poll shows
World Zionist Organization poll also shows that Israelis worry about their safety when traveling abroad, and 65% say they play down their Israeli/Jewish identity • Two-thirds say European governments not effective in fighting anti-Semitism.
Yori Yalon - Israel Hayom                  
A majority of Israelis are worried about their safety when traveling outside the country, a new poll shows - photo: Yossi Zeliger           
Over half -- 59% -- of Israelis are afraid to travel outside the country, with 25% saying they are usually afraid to do so, and 34% saying they have become more afraid this past year, a poll commissioned by the World Zionist Organization shows.
According to the poll, which was conducted by the Midgam Consultants and Research Institute, more women than men say they are afraid to travel abroad (62% compared to 55%). More than two-thirds (65%) of respondents say their concerns prompt them to play down signs of Israeli or Jewish identity while abroad, of whom 36% say they do so regularly and 29% say they have changed their habits and have recently started hiding their Jewish/Israeli identities.
Another worrying number also emerged from the poll: 25% of Israelis believe there is reason to fear that another Holocaust will be perpetrated against the Jewish people, and 24% believe there is a chance that the State of Israel will cease to exist.
Over two-thirds (67%) of those polled are worried about the safety of Jewish communities abroad, with 66% saying they believe European governments are not working effectively to battle anti-Semitism and a further 14% saying European governments are not fighting anti-Semitism at all. Given the rising anti-Semitism in Europe and worldwide, 39% of respondents say that European Jews should emigrate to Israel. However, 46% of those polled expressed understanding that Jews continued to live in Europe for economic, social, and other reasons.
WZO Vice-Chairman Yaakov Haguel, who is due to present the poll at an upcoming WZO conference dedicated to fighting modern anti-Semitism, stressed that "the numbers are most surprising and worrying, and need to spark attention and thought among decision-makers in Israel and the world."