Antisemitism is the hatred of, or prejudice against, Jewish people.[1][2] A synonym is Judeophobia,[3] preferred by those who argue that antisemitism is too ambiguous.[3]

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Origin

As per American historian Deborah Lipstadt, antisemitism (German: antisemitismus) was coined by German nationalist Wilhelm Marr in 1881 to describe the anti-Jewish sentiment in German society. The term refers to Jews who practice Judaism, Jews who have converted to Christianity as well as those of Jewish ancestry.[4] Sometimes, the term is spelled as anti-Semitism, but such spelling is controversial, particularly because there is no such thing as "Semitism" and the concept "Semitic race" stemmed from scientific racism.[4]

History of antisemitism

Antisemitism has a long history.[3] The worst instance of antisemitism in history is the Holocaust.

The Holocaust

The Holocaust was a genocide committed by Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945 (during World War II). It was also known as the Final Solution. The Nazis' plan was to get rid of every Jew in Europe. They succeeded in killing up to 67% of the Jews in Europe: around six million people. This plan was based on antisemitism. Adolf Hitler believed that the "Aryan race" was better than all others, including Jews. To him and his followers, the "Aryan race" was the master race.

Today

Antisemitism[1][3] is still common today.[2] In 2011 Pew Research Center polled people in all of the Middle Eastern countries where Muslims were the majority. Most of the people they polled viewed the Jews very negatively. Only 2% of Egyptians, 3% of Lebanese Muslims, and 2% of Jordanians reported having a good view of Jews.[5] In a 2013 survey of 5,847 Jewish people in Europe, 76% thought that antisemitism had increased in the past five years. 29% had thought about moving countries because they felt unsafe.[6] A 2017 survey showed that 14% of Americans had antisemitic feelings.[7]

Lies about Jews

Ancient

  1. The Jews killed Jesus[8][9]
  2. The Jews conspire against Christianity[10]

Middle Ages

  1. The Jews take blood from Christian babies for rituals (blood libel)[11]
  2. The Jews poison wells to cause pandemics, including the Black Death[12]

Modern

  1. The Jews control mass media[13]
  2. The Jews control all the banks[14]
  3. The Jews control governments around the world[15][16]
  4. The Jews create wars and revolutions around the world[17]

Contemporary

  1. The Jews are fake European converts to Judaism[18]
  2. The Jews ran the Atlantic slave trade[18][19]
  3. The Jews created the AIDS and COVID-19[20]

Antisemitism in Abrahamic religions

Antisemitism in the Bible

The New Testament consists of antisemitic content blaming all Jews for the Crucifixion of Jesus:

For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way, they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

New International Version translation of 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 from Greek and Hebrew sources

Antisemitism in the Quran

The Qur'an consists of antisemitic content similar to that of the New Testament of the Bible:

Thou wilt find the most vehement of mankind in hostility to those who believe (to be) the Jews and the idolaters. And thou wilt find the nearest of them in affection to those who believe (to be) those who say: Lo! We are Christians. That is because there are among them priests and monks, and because they are not proud.

Translation of Qur'an 5:82 by Marmaduke Pickthall

References

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