The Institut Jonathas has published the results of a new opinion poll examining antisemitism specifically in Brussels. Conducted in partnership with Ipsos Belgium, the survey builds on a first nationwide poll carried out in 2024, also in collaboration with Ipsos. While the earlier study assessed attitudes across Belgium, the new research focuses exclusively on the Brussels region.
The results show that a significant share of the Brussels population continues to hold antisemitic stereotypes “inherited from the past”, rooted in religious or political traditions. These ideas are often expressed without overt hostility and are sometimes presented as self-evident truths, which increases the risk that they become normalised, particularly in digital spaces.
Several figures illustrate the persistence of these perceptions. According to the survey, 21% of respondents in Brussels consider Jews to be either an “unassimilable race” or responsible for the death of Christ. For both questions, the non-response rate exceeded 30%. In addition, 22% of respondents believe that Jews are not Belgians like everyone else, while 25% hold them responsible for economic crises — a classic antisemitic trope.
Other stereotypes also remain widespread. Forty per cent of respondents believe that Jews control the financial and banking sectors, while 70% subscribe to the idea that the Jewish community demonstrates particularly strong internal solidarity — an old but persistent stereotype.
Although some of these prejudices are linked to perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the study indicates that they cannot be reduced to it. Rather, they form part of a broader worldview related to perceptions of “otherness”. In addition to antisemitism, the questionnaire examined sexist and homophobic attitudes, views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, conspiracy theories, and basic factual knowledge.
The findings suggest that antisemitic prejudices are often embedded within a wider sociopolitical outlook characterised by moral conservatism and scepticism towards principles of equality. For example, nearly half of Muslim respondents believe that a woman should obey her husband, only 31% support adoption by same-sex couples, and more than half subscribe to conspiracy theories such as the denial of the US moon landing.
The survey confirms that antisemitic views exist across all social and political groups, but they appear more strongly in certain segments structured around three main factors: political extremism, generational divides, and ethno-religious identity. Higher levels of such attitudes are observed among supporters of political extremes — both on the far right and among voters of the Workers’ Party of Belgium — as well as among younger generations and certain religious groups, particularly Muslim respondents and, to a lesser extent, practising Catholics.
At the same time, the study emphasises the need to avoid essentialising these groups. Belgian Islam, for example, is described as pluralistic and heterogeneous. Nevertheless, statistically significant differences remain. The data confirms the presence of a “religion effect” already identified in the 2024 nationwide survey. Among Muslim respondents, 56% believe that Jews are overly present in the media and politics — compared with 31% across the entire sample — while 51% hold them responsible for many economic crises.
Generational dynamics also appear to play a role. Among respondents aged 18 to 35, nearly 40% compare Israel’s behaviour to that of the Nazis, reflecting what the study describes as a troubling trivialisation of extreme historical comparisons.
Political orientation is another important factor. The research suggests that antisemitism is no longer confined to the far right, but appears in several distinct political environments. Among supporters of far-right parties, 69% believe that Jews exploit the memory of the Holocaust, and 72% believe they use accusations of antisemitism for their own interests. However, some views are also present among supporters of the Workers’ Party of Belgium: 33% consider Jews to be an “unassimilable race”, and fewer than half believe that tagging a Jewish site in protest against Israel constitutes an antisemitic act.
In light of these findings, the Institut Jonathas calls for a collective response. The organisation recommends strengthening historical education, improving digital literacy, and increasing vigilance against discourse that normalises symbolic or physical attacks. It also advocates formally adopting the working definition of antisemitism developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance in order to better distinguish legitimate criticism of Israel from forms of anti-Zionism that reproduce antisemitic patterns.
Recent events underscore the urgency of the issue. The attack on the Synagogue of Liège demonstrates that antisemitism today is not limited to rhetoric. Acts of aggression are also increasing, reflecting what the study describes as a growing wave of more openly hostile antisemitism.
