Why do some people hate Jews?

Question

Everyone hates everyone these days but it seems like for a long time some people hate Jews for no reason. Christians, Muslims, agnostics...

We all know it's ridicolous, I just wanna learn the reason. So far I heard things like "Jews has been cursed because they didn't believe God at the first place", "Jews starts all wars".. etc etc

Is it because stupid Hitler's brainwashing or something else?

Answer 1

It has been said that the history of almost all of the Jewish holidays can be summed up succinctly: "They wanted to kill us; we won. Let's eat." Why has anti-Semitism been so pervasive in so many countries, in so many time periods and for so many reasons? (One begins to wonder. Perhaps there is something wrong with the Jews and Judaism? After all, there is an old Yiddish saying -- "If one person calls you a donkey, ignore him; if two people call you a donkey, buy a saddle.")Between the years 250 CE and 1948 CE - a period of 1,700 years - Jews have experienced more than eighty expulsions from various countries in Europe - an average of nearly one expulsion every twenty-one years. Jews were expelled from England, France, Austria, Germany, Lithuania, Spain, Portugal, Bohemia, Moravia and seventy-one other countries.

Historians have classified six explanations as to why people hate the Jews:

Economic -- "We hate Jews because they possess too much wealth and power."

Chosen People -- "We hate Jews because they arrogantly claim that they are the chosen people."

Scapegoat -- "Jews are a convenient group to single out and blame for our troubles."

Deicide -- "We hate Jews because they killed Jesus."

Outsiders, -- "We hate Jews because they are different than us." (The dislike of the unlike.)

Racial Theory -- "We hate Jews because they are an inferior race."



As we examine the explanations, we must ask -- Are they the causes for anti-Semitism or excuses for Anti-Semitism? The difference? If one takes away the cause, then anti-Semitism should no longer exist. If one can show a contradiction to the explanation, it demonstrates that the "cause" is not a reason, it is just an excuse. Let's look at some contradictions:

Economic -- The Jews of 17th- 20th century Poland and Russia were dirt poor, had no influence and yet they were hated.

Chosen People -- a) In the late 19th century, the Jews of Germany denied "Choseness." And then they worked on assimilation. Yet, the holocaust started there. b) Christians and Moslems profess to being the "Chosen people," yet, the world and the anti-Semites tolerate them.

Scapegoat -- Any group must already be hated to be an effective scapegoat. The Scapegoat Theory does not then cause anti-Semitism. Rather, anti-Semitism is what makes the Jews a convenient scapegoat target. Hitler's ranting and ravings would not be taken seriously if he said, "It's the bicycle riders and the midgets who are destroying our society."

Deicide -- a) the Christian Bible says the Romans killed Jesus, though Jews are mentioned as accomplices (claims that Jews killed Jesus came several hundred years later). How come the accomplices are persecuted and there isn't an anti-Roman movement through history? b) Jesus himself said, "Forgive them [i.e., the Jews], for they know not what they do." The Second Vatican Council in 1963 officially exonerated the Jews as the killers of Jesus. Neither statement of Christian belief lessened anti-Semitism.

Outsiders -- With the Enlightenment in the late 18th century, many Jews rushed to assimilate. Anti-Semitism should have stopped. Instead, for example, with the Nazis came the cry, in essence: "We hate you, not because you're different, but because you're trying to become like us! We cannot allow you to infect the Aryan race with your inferior genes."

Racial Theory -- The overriding problem with this theory is that it is self-contradictory: Jews are not a race. Anyone can become a Jew - and members of every race, creed and color in the world have done so at one time or another.



Every other hated group is hated for a relatively defined reason. We Jews, however, are hated in paradoxes: Jews are hated for being a lazy and inferior race - but also for dominating the economy and taking over the world. We are hated for stubbornly maintaining our separateness - and, when we do assimilate - for posing a threat to racial purity through intermarriages. We are seen as pacifists and as warmongers; as capitalist exploiters and as revolutionary communists; possessed of a Chosen-People mentality, as well as of an inferiority complex. It seems that we just can't win.

Answer 2

Many people hate the Jews simply because of tradition; they were brought up that way.



I don't hate Jews. I hate and loathe the Jewish custom of infant male genital mutilation, which they have spread, along with Islam, into other cultures.



The notion that "Jews start all wars," is simply ridiculous. The Catholics, Protestants and Islam have all done their fair share of the slaughter.



And no, Hitler and his gang of Nazis didn't start anything new regarding hatred of the Jews---the Jews have been hated and persecuted throughout history. (Just about all peoples and religions have been persecuted at one time or another, but the Jews seem to have the record for longevity---except for homosexuals, whom even the Jews continue to persecute to this very day).



As far as Christians, Muslims and agnostics, they all hate each other as well as hating the Jews.



I just find it so ironic that the Jews and Muslims, coming from the same roots, have such hatred between them, even though they have much the same dietary laws and share Abraham as a prophet.



Isn't it also ironic that Christianity is based on worshiping a dead Jew while many so-called Christians hate live ones?

(Not all Christians hate Jews, but there are very substantial numbers).



My feeling is that anyone who hates a Jew just because he is a Jew is a fool.

Answer 3

I'm afraid anti-Semitism goes back to the time of the Roman Empire. The Jews were very stubborn (they would call it righteous) in their observance of the command to worship no god but Yahweh. But the Roman Emperor was a god, and all good citizens (meaning non-traitors) were obliged to go to the local temple and light some incense on behalf of the Emperor, pray for his good health, and bow. That's about it, but Jews were the only people in the entire Empire who refused to carry out this simple ritual. In addition there was serious cultural conflict between the Jews and the Greco-Roman world. When the Greeks were in power in Israel they set up gymnasiums, just like at home, where boys wrestled and boxed nude. NUDE! Aiieee, the sky is falling! Yahweh will desert us forever!

After some centuries of this turbulence (complete with rebellions and many riots), the Romans decided to make an example of the Jews. They easily conquered Israel, and destroyed the Temple. After another major rebellion, the Romans dispersed the Jews all over the empire; this was the diaspora.

Christ was a Jew, but never mind. Jews could not accept Jesus as the Messiah (for one thing, he was celibate, and no man was supposed to be celibate in Judaism). The Christians decided to hate the Jews for this rejection of the Jews and made up a story about how the Jews killed Christ. Therefore, they were Christ killers too, and by definition heretics. When the Church became triumphant, one of the early Church fathers declared that it was wrong to kill Jews, but that Jews should be punished with persecution, high taxes, and all manner of punitive laws. Up until the end of WWII nearly every country in Europe despised Jews, for no reason other than that they were a convenient target.

Jews have always been accused of being master manipulators and of controlling vast amounts of wealth that they use for suspicious activites. The establishment of an independent Israel was very violent and continues to be a deep source of trouble in the Mid East.

As an Irish Catholic, I was brought up to hate Jews. But my Jewish classmates were the sanest kids I knew, and their parents were very nice. I never developed a hatred of Jews, and have enjoyed their friendship and love all my life.

Answer 4

Hello --



I have no understanding of why people hate Jews. All the Jews I have known were decent people.



I can give one absolute fact ... the hatred of the Jews goes back way before Hitler. Hitler is the most famous Jew-hater ... but he wasn't the only one!



I speculate that the fact that Jews worship differently made them outcasts among most Christian and (to a degree Muslim) groups.



I hope that helps a little



Bill

Answer 5

Historians have classified six explanations as to why people hate the Jews:

Economic -- "We hate Jews because they possess too much wealth and power."

Chosen People -- "We hate Jews because they arrogantly claim that they are the chosen people."

Scapegoat -- "Jews are a convenient group to single out and blame for our troubles."

Decide -- "We hate Jews because they killed Jesus."

Outsiders -- "We hate Jews because they are different than us." (The dislike of the unlike.)

Racial Theory -- "We hate Jews because they are an inferior race."



Every other hated group is hated for a relatively defined reason. Jews, however, are hated in paradoxes: Jews are hated for being a lazy and inferior race - but also for dominating the economy and taking over the world. They are hated for stubbornly maintaining their separateness - and, when they do assimilate - for posing a threat to racial purity through intermarriages.They are seen as pacifists and as warmongers; as capitalist exploiters and as revolutionary communists; possessed of a Chosen-People mentality, as well as of an inferiority complex. It seems that they just can't win.



So there are various reasons for why Jews are hated and they differ from culture to culture. One of the more famous and relevant is the false story of how the Jews killed Jesus, even though historically there is no truth to this. Today anti-semetism is rampant mostly through-ought the Muslim world and is fed by false blood libels and the demonetization of the state of Israel. Anti-semetism is based on irrational and false accusations on how a group of 13 million people claim to take over and corrupt the world. Most cultures who have harbored anti-semetic leanings have done this to scapegoat the Jews as an effort to create a common enemy and blind the masses to the true troubles of the country. In short Jews are hated because they are an easy target and many cultures still have an irrational hate and loathing of Jews from generations past.

Answer 6

Because Christians and Muslims have there common roots in Judaism, They have to prove that they are wrong in order to prove they are right. The Jewish people were in exile and strangers are often made the scapegoats when a politician wants to rally and army. Having someone to point at and blame is still politics as usual today.

The Jewish people were often successful they helped one another kept to themselves and valued education. So they became the targets of evil power grabbers.



That was before Zionism, Not all Jews are Zionists.

IT is my opinion that The Jewish people being just as human as everyone else will have evil people too.

So there land is stolen from them they are placed in camps and murdered., They are liberated Go to Israel steal the land from another innocent people place them in camps and then murder them. They use religion to justify the act.

I hate Nazis if the new Nazis happen to be Jewish Christian Muslim or Buddhist. IF they act like NAZIS they are evil

THERE are Nazis right now living in the middle east.

SO I must speak up for there victims. Its the only moral thing to do. Silence is not an option.

Answer 7

The Jewish people are dedicated to their religion and traditions and won't give them up to satisfy the majority culture. The fact some people won't assimilate apparently drives some other people crazy. Add that to the fact they are a minority and minorities are always targeted for whatever is wrong in a culture, and you see why they are hated by some people.



In the Christian world, this hatred is rationalized through the "Jews killed Christ" argument. The people who make that argument always seem to forget that Jesus was a Jew!



Jewish people have contributed much that is positive to the world, far beyond what is statistically expected of such a small people group. We should be grateful to them, not hating them.

Answer 8

Back in the day people hated Jews because they killed Jesus. As time progress Hitler corrupted people to believe that the Jews were taking there money, jobs, and culture (which they actually were) so in that time people were struggling and were poor and the Jews were the scapegoat but other than that it is just pure ignorance and maybe you can thank south park a little for that also (for current times). But just to say it one more time it is just pure ignorance that drives the hatred

Answer 9

It's a sad fact that people hate differences. Racial, Monetary, Religious. If the other guy has something we don't have, we often are envious. If we can attain his status, let's hate him, lets destroy him. In other words, cut him down to our level (or better yet lower than us). Then we can focus on someone else.



Far from being cursed. The Jews are still God's chosen people. And history shows that those who make a point of coming down on them always lose in the end.

Answer 10

I'm Christian and have nothing but respect for Jews. From the religious perspective, I believe they are under an everlasting covenant with God that is equally valid as the Covenant Christ provides.



I think the hatred is complicated, but the modern variation is rooted in medieval economic policies in Europe that prohibited Christians from lending money - this allowed Jews at the time to capitalize on the policy and become very wealthy. Wealth usually breeds contempt and that contempt lasted in Europe for generations to come. Adding to that, a sense of religious intolerance/ignorance/fear that was quite rampant through the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries in Europe you have a recipe for disaster.



Of course, the "dislike" of the Jewish population didn't begin then - but I think the reasons have shifted from nationalistic/militaristic hatred to cultural/economic over the last two millenia.

Answer 11

From what I gather, back in days when Christanity was being formed, it's competition was Judaism. So to pull in the Romans and pagans, it wrote in stuff that's anti-Jewish.



That war is still being fought unwittingly by Christains. It gave room for later rulers to vilify the Jews even further, such as saying they killed Jesus instead of the Romans. Who care's who killed him if he was supposed to die by God's will?



All the blood libel stuff from the dark ages also is very Christian. Judiasm doesn't need blood sacrifices for anything, but Christianity has a symbolic one.



Jews lived at times in separate communities and didn't assimilated like good little people the way most people did. It made them easier scapegoats by the rulers who actually purposed riled up peasants to attack Jews to distract from their own problems. For example "protocol of the elders" is a hoax commissioned by the Russian Czar in the 17 or 1800's which tells of a secret Jewish elder scheme to take over the world.



What was scary is in Germany Jews were highly assimilated and not very religious and part of the German community -- and yet scapegoating them was still done.



Which goes back to the original problem. Christianity has a built in rejection and vilification of Judaism because it's a "threat" that Jews rejected "their own" messiah -- and threatens Christianities basic validity. It doesn't have to be seen that way and in the last 30 years, the Churches themselves have worked to change that. But it is THAT recent a change.



The Muslims treated the Jews similarly to other minorities among them and even a little better as fellow "people of the book". They've imported Hilter's and Europe's antisemitism in recent years. First, the Grand Muflti in early 1900's was good friends with Hilter and spread the word. Second, there is an imperialist Arab idea that they would re-expand to re-take the middle east into an empire when the Ottoman empire went down. Israel is a real thorn in that plan, so they need a way to vilify Israel and keep coming up with new ways including borrowing from old ones against the Jews.



Eyptian state TV has played the classic blood libel stories against Jews (really gross stuff). The whole "Jews are going to expand and take over" is from Protocols, which is a best seller.



So, it's all still about politics and expansionism. Jews don't fight back with geninue effort to wipe out other people and expand. Maybe that's our "mistake". Add to the past that people (all people of every creed) are dumb and will happily believe hatreds -- and that seems to be the answer.



A good site for understanding anti-semitism

www.adl.org



Thanks for the good question.



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The answers to this question should give you many of the ignorant superficial reasons. Unfortunately people don't realize how much they are pawns to old lies and their own need to hate someone.



Basically it's like the wimpy kid on the playground. Once one bully picks on them, they're marked for all bullies. Even when they grow up, grown up bullies still recognize the target. That's what Israel was all about -- adding defend to Jews for the first time in centuries. But it takes time for that defense to change our markings as easy targets -- or necessary targets.



You can really hear those bullies yepping now; they're feeling really angry that Jews are standing up for themselves. (I've literally seen professional papers to this effect.) I just hope our message of peace gets out before it all implodes & we really do have to kill or be killed on a larger scale.

Answer 12

I don't know. I am curious to. Having worked in predominantly Jewish communities, I can say that some of the people were really mean and obnoxious but I have no idea if that is related to it being predominantly Jewish or just because it was so rich. It was tough and I did not enjoy the customers there. I loved the people I worked with though because they were smart, intelligent, and nice. But growing up, I had friends that were jewish and I liked them a lot.



I don't know why. I hope someone can throw some light on. It has to relate to ignorance.

Answer 13

No hitler. But some people still want to follow his rules. But i believe that people are against Jews sometimes b/c they ARE God's chosen people. I am a christian myself and i am kinda impauled to hear that christians are saying that they hate Jews. They are just being hypocrites. Jews should be respected, they have been through alot. Although they may have done some bad stuff they are like us and make mistakes too.

Answer 14

Stop it with the "Hitler's brainwashing". Stop and consider for a minute that Hitler may have been right.



Jews have been persecuted for thousands of years and have been evicted by every major civilization they've lived in. Do you honestly think that it was for no good reason? Are you aware that the Talmud, the jews' religious guide considers all people to be less than human, cattle to serve the jews? Did you know the jews consider pedophilia to be an acceptable behavior according to that same book? Never mind the manipulations and machinations to make all peoples subjugate to the jew, which we are beginning to see come to fruition now. Great men throughout history have attempted to warn us of the jew and the consequences of attempting to assimilate them into society; Benjamin Franklin, Herbert Hoover, Adolph Hitler, and Thomas Jefferson, to name a few. Read the Franklin Phrophecy. Look into the Protocols of Zion, a plan for world domination said to be a hoax, but seeing as it was written in the early part of the 20th century and we've seen the jews perform nearly everything in it to perfection till now I'm not convinced it was a hoax. Jews own and control nearly all media, news, and entertainment, molding how you see the world. Jews control the government, and by extension the government-run schools, manipulating what you learn, such as the lie that six million jews were killed in the "Holocaust" when census records only showed six hundred thousand jews in Germany and fourteen million jews worldwide at the time. And jews don't like their machinations being pointed out, either; this answer won't make it to the end of the day. Investigate, think, and question, and you will see why the jews are despised and shunned.

Answer 15

Hating Jews is like hating any particular group or ethnicity - it is racism. It derives from having a bad experience with someone from that group and then using that experience to color the entire group. This is not logical since what one person of a group does is not necessarily indicative of how others in the group will behave. This type of thinking is often passed on from parents to children as well.

Answer 16

That's easy....we are a genetically brilliant people....aggressive business folk and helluva fighters when are backs are against the wall, which we have been for thousands of years. Masada, eg. We are not perfect and we are not above corruption like anyone else, we are human like everyone else and we don't all know , agree with or even neccessarily like each other.! But on the whole we are a small not very physically strong and easy victims to bigger, stronger races.! But give us weapons and watch our adversaries run.! We are not afraid to defend ourselves against tougher, harder odds.! I couldn't care less if some people hate me I hate lotsa folk especially meanies.! I married a christian. I am not religious and I say f-k bigots and hatemongers. It's not just us, others hate blacks, hispanics and asians.....the list goes on and on and on......Only real losers who have nothing better to do but to scapegoat and harrass other humans indulge themselves in these areas.! Frankly they bore me rather than scare me. Jews are armed to the teeth these days and hey people......WE FIGHT BACK.!

Answer 17

People hate anyone they do not know. When a person has no awareness or acquaintance with others, it is easy to hate. As you get to know people for who they really are, you begin to appreciate and love them. So ignorance is the bottom line of hating the Jews. They are a wonderful group of people with much savy. They are loved in God's sight, and have been extremely blessed over the years. Toni D. (a senior lady)

Answer 18

People didn't like the Jews a long time before Hitler. Guess we all need someone to hate. Jews are fine with me... I have my own dislikes.

Answer 19

Becasue Jews have been silent Enemies in Eurpoe and they Hate the Gentiles..



They kill the Muslims in their own (the Muslim's) land and claim it as their own..



They as said were massacred in Europe but these stupids continue the same in Arab thinkning that they wouldnt get the return..



Lets see when will be their downfall and thats obviously so near..



Jews have developed to be so intolerable of the rest because their claim of Jesus not being the Messiah has been disproved by the advent of Islam, confirming the fact..

And that is also why many are converting to the religion in masses.

Answer 20

for the same reason that most all humans hate anything.. RELIGION!!



""Is it because stupid Hitler's brainwashing or something else?""



Hitler was a devout Christian, so his hatred of the Jews was due solely because of his religious upbringing and brainwashing.

His particular sect was Lutheranism.

All the Nazi's were devout Christians, only religion can justify such hatred and atrocity.

Answer 21

Oceanid

I love everyone because I figure God could of made me that person if He so desired.



He could of made me a stick.

Does this put a different perspective on things?

Answer 22

Jews have been discriminated against since Ancient Egypt (Exodus 1:10). We all get discriminated against. My mother was murdered because she was white. The devil doesn't discriminate who he will kill. Only humans do.

Answer 23

I dont understand it either we black men and women got our rights thanks to the jews i dont get why people hate them i see them every where here in new york city.



And i think because of what u mention of Hitlers stupid act in making people hate them for no reason.

Answer 24

Right on!

to your question, the general answer is because, since the middle ages, Jews have been the wealthy, the educated, the persistent, and the different. they have refused to assimilate, and have kept their beliefs (which are 2,000 years older then Christianity). and today, people fear them. look to your affluent sectors. who are the main bankers, doctors, lawyers and other valued members of society? the jews, they work harder, and unless they all give up and became lazy like the masses, religions like christianity and its followers will refuse to give up their prejudices. furthermore, in recent years, many anti-Jewish libels have been republished in the public eye.

Answer 25

While it isn't nice, it is human nature to dislike (or hate) people who appear to think that they are better than you. Throughout most of history, the Jewish people have made no qualms about announcing that they are God's chosen people. Kinda like being the teacher's pet. Everyone has you in their gun sights.

Answer 26

Becuase people are idiots, and like to think that religon, race or etc are the only things that matters in this world, and if they are differant they judge by it.

Answer 27

It's not just the Jews that are hated, my dear. Christians are persecuted all over the world, and so is everybody for SOMETHING:( The world is a cruel, hateful place.

Answer 28

I think it is due to people's observations that they stick together and exclude other people in the same way that Asians do. They set up a microcosm of society within the macrocosm and work for each other in order to promote wealth within their race. People who set out to do this will always be disliked by wider society, that is why multi-culturalism doesn't work.

Answer 29

People think Jews are the source of all problems in life OR people hate them because they took Israel

Answer 30

Religioinists love to hate, who is a secondary matter.

Answer 31

idkk!! thats y i dont like watching the passion of christ. sum ppl, like n that mel gibson movie, r just freakin dibby..they say that jesus was a christian who was killed by the jews, but he was a jew killed by the romans..n e way, the whole jew-h8ing-thing is just dumb.

Answer 32

We Jews were the first ones to believe in G-d...lol....

We are disliked for one reason:

ENVY.

Answer 33

Some people are just bigots that need to have someone to hate to make themselves feel important.

Answer 34

I don't hate them personally, but I see why others do. They :



1. Run you out of the neighborhood with there compulsive buying of property.



2. They change everything into their language, even street signs.



3. They basically alienate themselves from normal population.



4. They Deny Jesus even though their ancestors killed him.



5. They only believe in half the bible. Which is nuts considering all the prophecies regarding the Messiah.

Answer 35

because ppl are ignorant. that is the simplest and easiest explanation...its same reason why anybody hates anybody for there color, sex, sexual preference, religion etc...ignorance

Answer 36

Some people say Jews killed Jesus, but it was actually all God's idea to begin with.

Answer 37

Because of the Jewish culture of aggressiveness and arrogance. It also seems like the Jewish culture encourages a win at any cost philosophy. While this is not true with all Jewish people it is common enough to create a feeling of ill will.

Answer 38

why do people waste time, energy, breath or life hating anyone????

Answer 39

THEY GAVE THE WORLD THE BIBLE...!!! so I wonder...

Answer 40

because jews are running the system



http://youtube.com/watch?v=Vb3IMTJjzfo

Answer 41

they r afraid that it may happen to them

Answer 42

you do pepole hate me

Answer 43

cuz they got big noses and hog up all the $$$$$$