Jewish people are not “disliked” because of anything inherent to them; hostility toward Jews is a form of prejudice called antisemitism, and it comes from the haters, not from Jews. Antisemitism is irrational, like racism, and has taken different forms over thousands of years.
What antisemitism is
Antisemitism is hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Jews as Jews, whether they are seen as a religious, ethnic, or racial group. Historians emphasize that persecution of Jews has never been caused by anything Jews “did,” but by the fears, fantasies, and ideologies of those who persecute them.
Historical religious roots
In many Christian societies, Jews were wrongly blamed for killing Jesus, which church leaders used for centuries to justify discrimination and violence. Christian and later Islamic teachings sometimes portrayed Judaism as obsolete or stubbornly “refusing” to accept the new faith, feeding resentment and pressure to convert.
Scapegoating and conspiracy myths
Because Jews were often a small, visible minority, rulers and mobs repeatedly used them as scapegoats when crises hit, such as war, economic collapse, or the Black Death. Absurd conspiracy theories—like poisoning wells, ritual murder of children, or secretly controlling governments and banks—became excuses for pogroms, expulsions, and eventually the Holocaust.
From religion to racism and politics
From the 1800s on, new “racial science” and nationalist ideologies recast Jews as a dangerous, alien race, even when they were secular or assimilated. In the 20th and 21st centuries, antisemitism has appeared on both far-right and far- left extremes, blaming Jews for opposite things (being “capitalists” in one context and “communists” in another), which shows how irrational it is.
Why this framing is harmful
Asking “why are Jews disliked” can accidentally suggest there is something about Jews that justifies hate, which is exactly the logic antisemitism relies on. A better way to frame the question is “Why do some people hate Jews?”—and the honest answer is: because prejudice, misinformation, and scapegoating are powerful, and Jews have long been a convenient target, not a cause.