One in five Brits believe anti-Semitic virus conspiracies — survey
Posted on 17 May 2020
Researchers find most in Britain believe they are being misled by officials, drawing link to difficulty convincing public to follow distancing guidelines
By TOI STAFF
May 26, 2020
Almost 20 percent of adults in England believe that Jews created the coronavirus for financial gain, according to research conducted by clinical psychologists at Oxford University.
The study also found that 60% of adults believe to some extent that the British government is misleading the UK public about the cause of the virus; 40% believe to some extent the spread of the virus is a deliberate attempt by powerful people to gain control; and 20% believe to some extent that the virus is a hoax.
Groups tracking anti-Semitism have pointed to an increase in anti-Jewish incidents and sentiments around the world since the pandemic struck, with Jews being blamed for creating the virus or trying to profit off of it, among other conspiracies.
Participants in the survey were asked to what extent they agreed with the statement: “Jews have created the virus to collapse the economy for financial gain.” According to the survey, 80.8% said they do not agree, 5.3% said they agree a little, 6.8% said they agree moderately, 4.6% said they agree a lot, while 2.4% said they agree completely.
Read in full: One in five Brits believe anti-Semitic virus conspiracies — survey