A new survey studying the attitude of New Zealanders towards the Jewish community found worrying levels of antisemitism, with a shocking number of respondents who believed that the Jews brought the Holocaust on themselves, according to Newshub.
The Antisemitism Survey of New Zealand 2021 by Curia Research used 18 internationally recognized questions with a sample of 1,000 participants from around New Zealand to study the level of antisemitism in the country.
The study found that one out of five participants has little knowledge about the Holocaust, and that many participants harbored stereotypical and antisemitic beliefs about Jews, including that Jews have too much control of international finances and too much control over the media.
The study also found that only 42 percent of respondents knew that six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, repeating the findings of previous studies that found many New Zealanders have almost no knowledge of the Holocaust.
"This survey is an important tool in exposing these alarming beliefs. These falsehoods make Jewish communities a target when people are looking to lay blame for tough times," Jewish Council spokesperson Juliet Moses said in a statement. "History has taught us this hatred doesn’t stop at Jewish communities. It spreads to other ethnic communities."
The New Zealand Holocaust Centre has asked for public funds to build an education center in Auckland for schools and families to learn about the Holocaust.
It is also urging schools to run its #JustOneWeek program, which 262 schools have so far adopted. The programs uses the experiences of Holocaust survivors to teach about antisemitism and discrimination.
"If people understand what the Holocaust actually was, this acts as a buffer against the rise of antisemitism and other forms of racism. Holocaust education is a safeguard for civil society," Holocaust education in Aotearoa New Zealand board chair Deborah Hart told the news outlet.