AntiSemitism (also spelled anti-Semitism) is defined by WIKIPEDIA as a preconception against or hostility towards the Jews, often rooted in hatred of their ethnical background, culture, tradition and/or religion. In its extreme form, it “attributes to the Jews an exceptional position among all other civilizations, defames them as an inferior group and denies their being part of the nations” in which they reside. A person who practices anti-Semitism is called an “anti-Semite.”
Holocaust scholar and City University of New York professor Helen Fein defines it as “a persisting latent structure of hostile beliefs towards Jews as a collective manifested in individuals as attitudes, and in culture as myth, ideology, folklore and imagery, and in actions – social or legal discrimination, political mobilization against the Jews, and collective or state violence – which results in and/or is designed to distance, displace, or destroy Jews as Jews.”
Between the 250 CE and 1948 CE – a period of almost 2 millenniums, Jews have experienced more than 80 expulsions from different countries in Europe – an average of nearly one expulsion every 2 decades. Jews were expelled from England, France, Austria, Germany, Lithuania, Spain, Portugal, Bohemia, Moravia and 71 other countries.
But, the question is, why the Jews? What’s with them that they are being hated so much? Generations after generations of prejudice. What did they do to deserve such punishments?
Historians have classified some explanations as to why people hate the Jews
They say it first began with ancient Hebrew attitudes and beliefs in which they say the Jews arrogantly claimed that they are God’s “chosen people” and everyone else are “gentiles”. (One who is not of the Jewish faith, a Christian, a Pagan or a Heathen)
In other words, the Jews from very early times began to think of themselves as better than everyone else and began to separate themselves from the rest of civilization. Everyone hates people who think of themselves as perfect.
The Jews also quickly became very accomplished merchants and scholars which resulted in great wealth and knowledge. Because of their impalpable way of thinking and culture, some of these Jews tended to hoard their money and knowledge which annoyed the gentiles even more. Because of the cultural beliefs, one of which is (we are chosen people, everyone else gentiles) the Jewish population remained small and continues to be so.
When cultural and economic pressures ignite, people look for a scapegoat, and the Jews because of their beliefs, always have made themselves an easy scapegoat. Some people who lack knowledge and understanding also blame the death of Jesus Christ on the Jews without remembering the fact that Jesus, the 12 apostles, and the very first Christians were also Jews. If this is their belief, they might as well hate Jesus and Christianity too.
Many Jews also have elevated themselves towards highly visible positions of power and influence in both the media and the politics and some have used their positions and platforms to demean and criticize non-Jewish culture which flares many gentiles (non-Jews) and often leads to more death and persecution of the Jews. Jewish fear and envy are a few reasons why some people may hate the Jews.
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