---
title: "French have positive views of both Jews, Muslims"
description: "A Pew Research Center survey conducted last year shows that the French held more favorable views of both Jews and Muslims than many other Europeans. "
date: "2015-01-14"
authors:
  - name: "Neha Sahgal"
    job_title: "Vice President, Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/neha-sahgal/"
  - name: "Bill Webster"
    job_title: "Senior Information Graphics Designer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/bill-webster/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2015/01/14/french-have-positive-views-of-both-jews-muslims/"
categories:
  - "Islam"
  - "Judaism"
  - "Muslims Around the World"
  - "Religion & Politics"
---

# French have positive views of both Jews, Muslims

[![Europe France views of Muslims, Jews](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2015/01/FT_15.01.13_JewMuslimFavUnfav310px.png)](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2015/01/FT_15.01.13_JewMuslimFavUnfav310px.png)

Last week’s killings in Paris at a kosher market have [raised new fears](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/13/world/europe/fear-on-rise-jews-in-france-weigh-an-exit.html?_r=0) among Jews of growing anti-Semitism in France and elsewhere on the continent. The recent violence, carried out by an Islamic radical apparently linked to a separate attack at the headquarters of the Charlie Hebdo newspaper, also has raised [concerns among Europe’s Muslim community](http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2015/01/12/376764562/in-frances-muslim-community-stories-of-heroism-and-some-fear) about reprisal attacks and Islamophobia.

A [Pew Research Center survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2014/05/12/chapter-4-views-of-roma-muslims-jews/) conducted last year shows that the French held more favorable views of both Jews and Muslims than many other Europeans. Indeed, 89% of French adults held favorable views of Jews, while 72% felt similarly about Muslims.

In nearly every other European country surveyed, majorities rated Jews favorably, including Britain (83%) and Germany (82%). One outlier was Greece, where as many people said they have a favorable view of Jews (47%) as an unfavorable view of them (47%). In addition, roughly one-quarter of the general public had an unfavorable view of Jews in Poland (26%) and Italy (24%).

Positive views of Muslims were also common in Britain (64%) and Germany (58%). But elsewhere, fewer people had a favorable view of Muslims, including roughly a third of the public in both Poland (32%) and in Italy (28%).