Antisemitism is not caused by anything “wrong” with Jewish people; it is the product of prejudice, fear, and conspiracy theories that have built up over thousands of years. Hatred of Jews has taken different forms in different places and times, but it always treats Jews as a useful “enemy” to blame for deeper problems.
Long history
Anti‑Jewish hatred goes back over 2,000 years and has appeared in many societies, which is why some scholars call it “the longest hatred.” Over time it has shifted from mainly religious hostility to racial, political, and modern conspiracy‑based forms.
Religious roots
In Christian Europe, church teachings for centuries wrongly blamed Jews as “Christ‑killers,” which helped justify discrimination, violence, and forced conversions. In some Muslim contexts, political and religious tensions also fed images of Jews as religious outsiders or enemies, though this varied widely by place and period.
Scapegoating and “otherness”
Jews were often minorities who kept distinct religious and cultural practices, so majority populations saw them as “different” and easy to single out. During crises like plagues, wars, or economic crashes, leaders and demagogues found it convenient to blame Jews for society’s problems instead of addressing the real causes.
Modern racism and conspiracy myths
From the 19th century onward, antisemitism increasingly framed Jews as a “race” and claimed they secretly controlled finance, politics, or the media, despite no evidence. These racist and conspiratorial ideas fueled extreme violence, including the Holocaust, in which Nazi Germany murdered six million Jews.
If this feels personal to you
If this question comes from feeling targeted or unsafe, those feelings are valid, and the hatred is not your fault. Talking with trusted people (friends, family, a rabbi, a counselor, or a local community or interfaith group) can help, and many organizations today work actively to combat antisemitism and support Jewish communities.