EAST ASIA AND ANTISEMITISM: A Vast Region Immersed in Admiration and Consternation

East Asia is a region of ever-growing importance. Its global significance is evident in every aspect, ranging from politics and economy to culture. The view that antisemitism is rife in present-day East Asia is based on various sources, ranging from newspaper reports and academic analyses to personal impressions. The most important testimony, however, stems from a worldwide survey on attitudes and opinions toward Jews across 101 countries conducted recently by the Anti-Defamation League. The three largest nations of East Asia, China, Japan, and South Korea, seem to share a very similar pattern of attitudes to Jews. The regional outlook and the relatively high level of antisemitism it contains are not the outcome of extended contacts with Jewish population or a conflict with Judaism, let alone with the state of Israel. At first glance, the East Asian views of Jews and attitude toward them seem somewhat contradictory.