WASHINGTON — More than one-third of Americans who have seen Mel Gibson’s blockbuster “The Passion of the Christ” say Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus, according to a new Pew Research Center poll released April 1.
The portion of Americans in general who hold Jews responsible has risen from 19 percent in 1997 to 26 percent today. That figure has doubled among black Americans — 42 percent, up from 21 percent — and more than tripled among Americans under the age of 30, from 10 percent to 34 percent. Pollsters said the rise among blacks and young people was “striking,” but said it may be premature to link seeing the movie with placing blame on Jews.
“Generally, there is a correlation between seeing the movie and expressing an intention to see it, with holding the view that Jews were responsible for Christ’s death,” pollsters said. They noted that 29 percent of people who plan to see the movie already hold Jews responsible.
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