Over one-quarter of Muslim Americans blame Israel, Zionists for 9/11, survey finds

A new JCFA survey reveals that 27.40% of Muslim American respondents blame Zionists or Israel for the 9/11 attacks, while only 23.56% attribute responsibility to al-Qaeda. The study, conducted among 416 Muslim Americans and 429 non-Muslims, also finds significant generational and partisan divides in 9/11 beliefs, with younger Americans showing high uncertainty and Muslim Americans expressing greater tolerance for radical critiques of US foreign policy. The survey highlights deep divisions in how different communities perceive the 2001 attacks.

A new survey by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA) reveals that over one-quarter of Muslim Americans blame Zionists or Israel for the 9/11 attacks, a finding that underscores deep divisions in how different communities perceive the 2001 terrorist attacks. The study, titled 'Twenty-Five Years After 9/11: Conspiracy Theories Challenge Historical Fact,' was conducted by Dr. Irwin J. Mansdorf and Dr. Charles Jacobs. It surveyed 416 Muslim Americans and 429 non-Muslims, finding that only 23.56% of Muslim respondents attribute the attacks to al-Qaeda, compared to 62.24% of non-Muslims. Additionally, 18.51% of Muslim Americans believe the US government or CIA was responsible. The survey also found significant generational divides: among adults under 30, al-Qaeda attribution drops to 40%, with 28.57% unsure who was responsible. Political affiliations also shaped threat perceptions, with Republicans viewing Iran and radical Islamists as the primary danger, while a plurality of Muslim Americans named the CIA or US government agencies. The study further examined tolerance for radical critiques, finding that 28.13% of Muslim Americans agree or strongly agree with the statement that 'America deserved 9/11,' compared to 71.33% of non-Muslims who disagree. Support for a government-mandated 9/11 curriculum was 44.71% among Muslim Americans versus 62% of non-Muslims. The framing relies on presenting survey data as evidence of a 'severe disintegration of a shared American reality,' using the JCFA's own characterization.