Do Antizionist Beliefs Predict Justification of Anti-Jewish Aggression? Evidence from Two National Surveys in Norway

While perpetrators of anti-Jewish harassment and violence are a small minority in democratic societies, they rely on a larger number of people who justify such aggression or silently condone it. Using data from nationally representative surveys of the Norwegian population, I report two studies investigating whether antizionist beliefs predict (1) justification of harassment and violence against Jews and (2) refusal to take a stance against such aggression. Study 1 (N = 1575) found support for both hypotheses. In a preregistered replication, Study 2 (N = 1653) confirmed these results. Follow-up analyses found that antizionist beliefs also predicted refusal to answer questions measuring blatant antisemitic prejudice. The findings support theorizing that sees antizionism as a subtle and socially more acceptable vehicle for expressing antisemitic hostility.