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[[Image:Aldershot Cemetery.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Anti-Semitic graffiti on Jewish graves, Aldershot Military Cemetery, Hampshire, England, November, 2004. (c. Community Security Trust/Fox News)]]

[[Image:Aldershot Cemetery.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Anti-Semitic graffiti on Jewish graves, Aldershot Military Cemetery, Hampshire, England, November, 2004. (c. Community Security Trust/Fox News)]]

'''Anti-Semitism''' (or '''antisemitism''') is [[discrimination]], [[Hate|hatred]], or criticism of [[Jews]], Jewish culture, or the state of [[Israel]].  As a word it is first recorded in the English language in 1882<ref>http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antisemitism</ref>, but as an idea and argument of hatred examples exist from much earlier times. It was Wilhelm Marr (1819 – 1904), a German agitator who coined the term ''"anti-semitism"'' in 1879 .

'''Anti-Semitism''' (or '''antisemitism''') is [[discrimination]] against, [[Hate|hatred]] against, or criticism of [[Jews]], Jewish culture, or the state of [[Israel]].  As a word it is first recorded in the English language in 1882<ref>http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antisemitism</ref>, but as an idea and argument of hatred examples exist from much earlier times. It was Wilhelm Marr (1819 – 1904), a German agitator who coined the term ''"anti-semitism"'' in 1879 .

==Origins of Anti-Semitism==

==Origins of Anti-Semitism==

==Blood Libel==

==Blood Libel==

One of the oldest instances of anti-Semitic claims was made in the first century AD by Apion who claimed Jews sacrificed Greeks in their temple in a ritual known as a "blood libel".  

One of the oldest instances of anti-Semitic claims was made in the first century AD by Apion who claimed Jews sacrificed Greeks in their temple in a type of accusation known as a "blood libel".  

The "Blood libel" myth reappeared in England in 1144, after [[William of Norwich]] was found murdered. William was called a martyr and created a second wave of anti-semitism, this time in Europe. It was mostly popularized with the story of Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln, and was even present in the [[Canterbury Tales]]. This continued on for many centuries until modern times. This "blood libel" accusation has survived the centuries and is today seen in [[Muslim]] anti-Semitic propaganda.

The "Blood libel" myth reappeared in England in 1144, after [[William of Norwich]] was found murdered. William was called a martyr and created a second wave of anti-semitism, this time in Europe. It was mostly popularized with the story of Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln, and was even present in the [[Canterbury Tales]]. This continued on for many centuries until modern times. This "blood libel" accusation has survived the centuries and is today seen in [[Muslim]] anti-Semitic propaganda.

==Middle Ages==

==Middle Ages==

In the [[Middle Ages]], Catholics blamed Jews for the death of Jesus Christ. This fueled Christian antipathy against Jews in most of Europe. This also led to rumors that Jews "desecrated the host" (tortured communion bread as per the [[Catholic]] doctrine of [[transubstantiation]], and that they "poisoned the wells", leading to the [[Black Death]]. Professing Jews were expelled from England in 1290, from France in 1306, and from Spain in 1492 and Portugal in 1496. (Those who converted to Christianity could remain.) Many went to Holland.  Napoleon removed most of the restrictions that kept Jews in ghettoes in Germany.

In the [[Middle Ages]], Catholics blamed Jews for the death of Jesus Christ. This fueled Christian antipathy against Jews in most of Europe. This also led to rumors that Jews "desecrated the host" (tortured [[communion]] bread as per the [[Catholic]] doctrine of [[transubstantiation]]), and that they "poisoned the wells", leading to the [[Black Death]]. It didn't help that Christians expelled practitioners of Judaism from various places. Professing Jews were expelled from England in 1290, from France in 1306, and from Spain in 1492 and Portugal in 1496. (Those who converted to Christianity could remain.) Many went to Holland and Poland.  Napoleon removed most of the restrictions that kept Jews in ghettoes in Germany.

==1800-1914==

==1800-1914==

===New nationalism===

===New nationalism===

Anti-semitism was transformed in the 19th century from a matter of religion to a matter of language and culture. Each "nation" rediscovered its historic languahe and culture and tried to establish a national homeland.  In most cases Jews were excluded or distrusted, and were not treated as part of the cultural center but as part of the periphery. Anti-Semitic references were common in the popular literature of both the 19th and early 20th centuries. It became more "scientific", and often connected with psuedo-scientific racial theories.  

 

Secular nationalism became a trend in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As a result, anti-semitism was transformed in the 19th century from a matter of religion to a matter of language and culture. Each "nation" rediscovered its historic language and culture and tried to establish a national homeland.  However, this did not remove old biases against Jews in Europe. In most cases Jews were excluded or distrusted, and were not treated as part of the cultural center but as part of the periphery. Anti-Semitic references were common in the popular literature of both the 19th and early 20th centuries. It became more "scientific", and often connected with psuedo-scientific racial theories.  

 

===Germany===

===Germany===

In Germany, leading 19th-century anti-Semites include composer [[Richard Wagner]] and his son-in-law writer [[Houston Stewart Chamberlain]].

In Germany, leading 19th-century anti-Semites include composer [[Richard Wagner]] and his son-in-law writer [[Houston Stewart Chamberlain]].

Historians have long debated whether or not the Anti-Semitism of imperial Germany directly prepared the ideological climate for Nazism. One way of testing the thesis of direct continuity is to examine how Judeophobes proposed to solve the "Jewish problem" in the Second Reich, 1870-1914. At that time, most anti-Semites stopped short of calling for the exclusion of Jews from German society, and in fact many advocated full integration. A handful of exclusionists, believing in the preordained struggle with the Jews and being pessimistic about getting them to leave Germany, did, however, plant the seeds of genocide.<ref> Donald L. Niewyk, "Solving The 'Jewish Problem': Continuity and Change in German Antisemitism, 1871-1945." ''Leo Baeck Institute. Year Book'' 1990 35: 335-370. </ref>  

Historians have long debated whether or not the Anti-Semitism of imperial Germany directly prepared the ideological climate for Nazism. One way of testing the thesis of direct continuity is to examine how Judeophobes proposed to solve the "Jewish problem" in the Second Reich, 1870-1914. At that time, most anti-Semites stopped short of calling for the exclusion of Jews from German society, and in fact many advocated full integration. A handful of exclusionists, believing in the preordained struggle with the Jews and being pessimistic about getting them to leave Germany, did, however, plant the seeds of genocide.<ref> Donald L. Niewyk, "Solving The 'Jewish Problem': Continuity and Change in German Antisemitism, 1871-1945." ''Leo Baeck Institute. Year Book'' 1990 35: 335-370. </ref>  

===Socialism===

===Socialism===

Leftist scholars examining the connection between socialism and anti-Semitism before 1914 generally have assumed that capitalist exploitation of the workers was responsible for the "Jewish question," and that the labor movement was largely immune to anti-Semitism. At a deeper level, factors such as retarded economic development in Central and Eastern Europe, Christian cultural traditions, the fragility of political liberalism outside Western Europe, the intensity of national conflicts, and the quality of leadership and class consciousness among the proletariat led to anti-Semitism in Germany, Russia, France, and Britain before 1914.  

Leftist scholars examining the connection between socialism and anti-Semitism before 1914 generally have assumed that capitalist exploitation of the workers was responsible for the "Jewish question," and that the labor movement was largely immune to anti-Semitism. At a deeper level, factors such as retarded economic development in Central and Eastern Europe, Christian cultural traditions, the fragility of political liberalism outside Western Europe, the intensity of national conflicts, and the quality of leadership and class consciousness among the proletariat led to anti-Semitism in Germany, Russia, France, and Britain before 1914.

===Austria===

===Austria===

The national government of the Austro-Hungarian Empire deliberately protected Jews from violent Anti-Semitism. However, popular antipathy toward Jews was more deeply rooted and stubborn in Austria than in most European countries. Reasons included slow development of a secular, pluralist society based on individual rights and open career opportunities; survival of corporatist ideas of economic organization; replacement of the multinational ideal of the Austro-Hungarian Empire by political division and ethnic antagonism; and the conspicuous role of individual Jews in finance capitalism, mass media, arts, and radical politics.

The national government of the Austro-Hungarian Empire deliberately protected Jews from violent Anti-Semitism. However, popular antipathy toward Jews was more deeply rooted and stubborn in Austria than in most European countries. Reasons included slow development of a secular, pluralist society based on individual rights and open career opportunities; survival of corporatist ideas of economic organization; replacement of the multinational ideal of the Austro-Hungarian Empire by political division and ethnic antagonism; and the conspicuous role of individual Jews in finance capitalism, mass media, arts, and radical politics.

Karl Lueger, the popular mayor of Vienna (1897-1910) and routinely used high powered Anti-Semitic rhetoric.  It caught the attention of one young resident, Adolf Hitler.  But there was no action takes against Jews, who played a major role in Vienna’s cultural and business life. Lueger operated within a strong national government that tolerated Jews. The Habsburg dynasty did not allow significant ant-jewish actions in its domains. The inviolate character of the Rechtsstaat and of a political culture based on law still existed. Mass violence within this political system was rare, and economic life was not yet caught up in the disastrous economic cycles of the post-1918 era. All these structural factors were serious barriers to the translation of anti-Semitic rhetoric in Vienna from words into deeds during the Habsburg era. In the 1930s, however, Vienna became increasingly hostile and many Jews fled before the Nazis marched in and took over in 1938.

Karl Lueger, the popular mayor of Vienna (1897-1910) and routinely used high powered Anti-Semitic rhetoric.  It caught the attention of one young resident, Adolf Hitler, who had come from Linz.  But there was no action takes against Jews, who played a major role in Vienna’s cultural and business life. Lueger operated within a strong national government that tolerated Jews. The Habsburg dynasty did not allow significant anti-Jewish actions in its domains. The inviolate character of the Rechtsstaat and of a political culture based on law still existed. Mass violence within this political system was rare, and economic life was not yet caught up in the disastrous economic cycles of the post-1918 era. All these structural factors were serious barriers to the translation of anti-Semitic rhetoric in Vienna from words into deeds during the Habsburg era. In the 1930s, however, as Austria became culturally and politically dominated by its northern neighbor, Vienna became increasingly hostile, and many Jews fled even before the Nazis marched in and took over in 1938.

Anti-Semitism was an integral part of the political platform of the Austrian Socialist Left before 1914. Given the depths of anti-Jewish feelings among the Austrian masses, the Socialists endeavored to woo the working class from right-wing political parties through employing the latter's anti-Semitic arguments concerning Jewish control of the Austrian economy. This approach was even utilized by such Socialists of Jewish background as Victor Adler. Once Lueger's anti-Semitic party gained control of the Vienna municipal government in 1897, the Socialist press attacked him and his associates for their alleged lack of fidelity to their anti-Semitic principles through covert dealings with the Jewish upper class.

Anti-Semitism was an integral part of the political platform of the Austrian Socialist Left before 1914. Given the depths of anti-Jewish feelings among the Austrian masses, the Socialists endeavored to woo the working class from right-wing political parties through employing the latter's anti-Semitic arguments concerning Jewish control of the Austrian economy. This approach was even utilized by such Socialists of Jewish background as Victor Adler. Once Lueger's anti-Semitic party gained control of the Vienna municipal government in 1897, the Socialist press attacked him and his associates for their alleged lack of fidelity to their anti-Semitic principles through covert dealings with the Jewish upper class.

===Russia===

===Russia===

Alone among the major European nations, Russia in the 19th century did not emancipate its Jewish subjects. Popular anti-Semitism (which had an anticapitalist bias) proceeded from, and flourished with the support of, anti-Jewish laws and official policies that tried either to forcibly integrate Jews into or to segregate them from the rest of Russian society - especially rural society. Pogroms –systematic slaughters of thousands of Jews in certain areas--happened in clusters, as in 1881-82 and 1905-06, and were related to severe political crises involving the issue of Jewish emancipation. Anti-Semitism increased during World War I with the need for scapegoats, but after the February Revolution of 1917 was no longer sustained by discriminatory legislation.

Alone among the major European nations, Russia in the 19th century did not emancipate its Jewish subjects. Popular anti-Semitism (which had an anticapitalist bias) proceeded from, and flourished with the support of, anti-Jewish laws and official policies that tried either to forcibly integrate Jews into or to segregate them from the rest of Russian society - especially rural society. Pogroms –systematic slaughters of thousands of Jews in certain areas--happened in clusters, as in 1881-82 and 1905-06, and were related to severe political crises involving the issue of Jewish emancipation. Anti-Semitism increased during World War I with the need for scapegoats, but after the February Revolution of 1917 was no longer sustained by discriminatory legislation.

===Italy===

===Italy===

Anti-Semitism played a far smaller role in Italy than in other European countries. One possible explanation is the high degree of assimilation achieved by the Italian Jewish community. However, assimilation elsewhere in Europe was not a bar to anti-Semitism. A more plausible reason is the lateness of industrialization, which meant that the lower middle classes did not fall victim to the economic and social anxieties experienced by the petite bourgeoisie of Germany and France. Other factors are the extremely small numbers of Italian Jews, the ethnically homogeneous nature of the Italian population, which meant that the Italians did not suffer from the paranoid insecurity of Germans who were confronted by large minorities within their borders, and Italy's long history of not succumbing to xenophobia and its weak race consciousness.

Anti-Semitism played a far smaller role in Italy than in other European countries. One possible explanation is the high degree of assimilation achieved by the Italian Jewish community. However, assimilation elsewhere in Europe was not a bar to anti-Semitism. A more plausible reason is the lateness of industrialization, which meant that the lower middle classes did not fall victim to the economic and social anxieties experienced by the petite bourgeoisie of Germany and France. Other factors are the extremely small numbers of Italian Jews, the ethnically homogeneous nature of the Italian population, which meant that the Italians did not suffer from the paranoid insecurity of Germans who were confronted by large minorities within their borders, and Italy's long history of not succumbing to xenophobia and its weak race consciousness.

==1914-1945==

==1914-1945==

Anti-Semitism was the core belief of [[Adolf Hitler]] and the Nazis, helping them gain power in Germany in 1933 and leading to their murder of 6 million Jews during the [[Holocaust]] of World War II.

Anti-Semitism was the core belief of [[Adolf Hitler]] and the Nazis (National Socialists), helping them gain power in Germany in 1933 and leading to their murder of 6 million Jews during the [[Holocaust]] of World War II.

 

In the 1920s [[Henry Ford]]'s newspaper, ''The Dearborn Independent'', reprinted the false ''[[The Protocols of the Elders of Zion]]''. Ford publicly apologized to Jews.

American aviator [[Charles Lindbergh]] disparaged Jews at a critical debate over intervention in the war in Europe in 1940. He led the "[[America First]]" movement opposed to war. He suggested the drive to war was orchestrated by Jews and would hurt the U.S.

American aviator [[Charles Lindbergh]] disparaged Jews at a critical debate over intervention in the war in Europe in 1940. He led the "[[America First]]" movement opposed to war. He suggested the drive to war was orchestrated by Jews and would hurt the U.S.

===United States===

===United States===

see [[American Jews]]

see [[American Jews]]

Republican President [[Richard Nixon]] hurt his reputation after recordings of informal conversations laden with racial slurs and invective known as the [[Watergate Tapes]] were made public. These informal comments  about Jewish control of the media and calling Robert Vesco "a cheap kike" among other comments suggested to Nixon critics that his views were informed by a mistrust of Jewish culture. <ref>http://hnn.us/articles/657.html</ref>  Nixon defenders note his support of [[Israel]] during the [[Yom Kippur War]] and his many Jewish friends and associates such as [[Henry Kissinger]], [[Herb Stein]] and others. <ref>http://www.slate.com/id/1003783/  </ref>

Republican President [[Richard Nixon]] hurt his reputation after recordings of informal conversations laden with racial slurs and invective known as the [[Watergate Tapes]] were made public. These informal comments  about Jewish control of the media and calling Robert Vesco "a cheap kike" among other comments suggested to Nixon critics that his views were informed by a mistrust of Jewish culture. <ref>http://hnn.us/articles/657.html</ref>  Nixon defenders note his support of [[Israel]] during the [[Yom Kippur War]] and his many Jewish friends and associates such as [[Henry Kissinger]], [[Herb Stein]] and others. <ref>http://www.slate.com/id/1003783/  </ref>

In 1984 [[Democratic]] presidential candidate [[Jesse Jackson]] uttered anti-Semitic slurs to reporter for the ''Washington Post'' when discussing the state of African-American and Jewish relations, which had been a key [[New Deal Coalition]] for half a century. Jackson is reported to have referred to Jews as "Hymies", and to New York City as "Hymietown".  Jackson apologized, but it was never forgotten.<ref>[http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=187440 Jesse and the Jews], Michael W. Hirschorn, ''The Harvard Crimson'', March 05, 1984.</ref>  Mayor Ed Koch even said that any Jews who vote for Jackson in 1988 were "crazy".

In 1984 [[Democratic]] presidential candidate, and noted liberal, [[Jesse Jackson]] uttered anti-Semitic slurs to reporter for the ''Washington Post'' when discussing the state of African-American and Jewish relations, which had been a key [[New Deal Coalition]] for half a century. Jackson is reported to have referred to Jews as "Hymies", and to New York City as "Hymietown".  Jackson apologized, but it was never forgotten.<ref>[http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=187440 Jesse and the Jews], Michael W. Hirschorn, ''The Harvard Crimson'', March 05, 1984.</ref>  Mayor Ed Koch even said that any Jews who vote for Jackson in 1988 were "crazy".

==Modern anti-Semitism==

==Modern anti-Semitism==

Anti-semitism has been growing rapidly at a phenomenal rate in Liberal countries, especially European countries.  

Anti-semitism has been growing rapidly at a phenomenal rate in Liberal countries, especially European countries.  

It has also been growing amongst liberals in the United States of America, The Institute for Jewish & Community Research, did a study of who is anti-semitic, and found that people who identify as Democrats are consistently more likely to believe any anti-semitic belief than are Republicans. The data from the survey also revealed a connection between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. This is important since liberals are more likely to be anti-Zionist than conservatives. The study found that the young, who are more likely to be liberal, are also more likely to be Anti-semites than people over age 35. The study found that more than 75% of Democrats hold at least one anti-semitic belief. According to the study 20% of Democrats believe Jews care only about themselves<ref>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30503</ref>

It has also been growing amongst liberals in the United States of America, The Institute for Jewish & Community Research, did a study of who is anti-Semitic, and found that people who identify as Democrats are consistently more likely to believe any anti-Semitic belief than are Republicans. The data from the survey also revealed a connection between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. This is important since liberals are more likely to be anti-Zionist than conservatives. The study found that the young, who are more likely to be liberal, are also more likely to be Anti-semites than people over age 35. The study found that more than 75% of Democrats hold at least one anti-semitic belief. According to the study 20% of Democrats believe Jews care only about themselves<ref>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30503</ref>

Recently, [[liberal]] [[atheist]] [[Richard Dawkins]] came under criticism for saying that the Religious Jews monopolize control over the American government.

Recently, [[liberal]] [[atheist]] [[Richard Dawkins]] came under criticism for saying that the Religious Jews monopolize control over the American government.