People attack Jews because of antisemitism, a long-standing form of hatred built on lies, fear, and the search for someone to blame in times of crisis. This hatred has changed its “reasons” over history, but the underlying prejudice stays the same.
What antisemitism is
Antisemitism is prejudice, hostility, or violence directed at Jews simply because they are Jews, whether as a religious, ethnic, or cultural group. It includes stereotypes, discrimination, vandalism, and physical attacks, and it often rises during periods of political or economic stress.
Historical roots
Anti-Jewish prejudice began in the ancient and early Christian world, where Jews were accused of rejecting or “killing” Jesus and portrayed as spiritually stubborn or dangerous. Over centuries in Europe and the Middle East, religious hostility mixed with social and political tensions, leading to expulsions, massacres (pogroms), and legal discrimination against Jewish communities.
Scapegoating and “outsider” status
Jews have often lived as minorities, seen as different in religion, customs, or language, which made them easy to label as “outsiders.” When societies face war, economic crisis, or rapid change, leaders and movements have repeatedly blamed Jews for broader problems, using them as scapegoats to unite others through a common enemy.
Myths, conspiracy theories, and envy
Attacks are frequently justified with false claims: that Jews secretly control governments, banks, media, or social movements, or that they are uniquely rich or disloyal to the countries where they live. These conspiracy theories feed envy and fear, and have been used by extremists—from medieval rulers to the Nazis—to rationalize discrimination, persecution, and even genocide.
Modern reasons it continues
Today, antisemitism appears from both far-right and far-left groups, and can be tied to racist ideologies, religious extremism, or reactions to events in the Middle East that are unfairly taken out on Jewish people everywhere. Online spaces spread old myths in new ways, normalizing hate speech and sometimes encouraging harassment and violent attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions like synagogues and schools.