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Can someone please explain anti-semitism to me?

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Leeds has a high Jewish community, most of the first immigrants came from Russia to escape persecution at the end of the 19th century and at first lived in poverty.

 

I was born and brought up in Leeds and knew quite a few Jewish people who were really nice, but I do know that some people didn't care for them. It had nothing to do with their religion, the reason for that resentment was nothing more then envy because so many Jews had prospered and become successful in business and other occupations.

 

Sadly, recently there has been a growing rise in racial anti-Semitism across Europe, which is more to do with politics in the middle east then anything else.

 

I'd say that's about right. For a very long time the Jews have been wanderers and have moved to places that were not their won. Hence they were always seen as outsiders, and they were outsiders who worked hard, did well and prospered. From what I've seen - and I could be very wrong - the roots of anti Semitism are grounded in the jealousy of native people against an incoming group that does better than them, is more prosperous, is a soft target and is ripe for the plucking.

 

---------- Post added 03-02-2015 at 01:15 ----------

 

Hitler blamed the Jews for the German loss of WWI and also for the economic disaster in the 1930s, in fact anything that went wrong he blamed on the Jews.

 

There's a bit in Four Lions if you have seen it, where they blame a broken down car on the fact that "sparkplugs are Jewish."

 

Some people just want any convenient excuse, or rather a whipping boy for their own failings.

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The Holocaust has always fascinated and horrified me at the same time, and since the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz recently, I started to look more into the roots of anti-Semitism and where it originated from.

 

Now try as I might, I am still unable to fully understand or get a satisfactory answer as to why anti-Semitism is one of the most widely practised and accepted forms of discrimination throughout the centuries. In short, why do people hate the Jews so much and why have they been a constant target of poor treatment in many different countries at one time or another?

 

You could argue that discrimination by definition is an unfounded and baseless act, but I am truly baffled by this. The other thing they ever seem to have done wrong is be successful??

 

Can anybody help me to understand it better?

 

Well it all started with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He was a Jew betrayed by the Jews.

The Christian church was the one who started the campaign against Jews as "murderers of our saviour Jesus Christ" so in every European land they settled in they bore the stigma for centuries afterwards.

 

Many jobs were closed to them but they are an intelligent race and they found ways to survive by working in the financial field of business or as tradesmen or merchants and became successful at it. The Rothschild family are an example

 

There were murderous pogroms carried out against them in Russia and Poland down through the centuries and it's pretty fair to say that the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church had some part in it

 

Their success was often resented by the communities they lived in and the Jews never did integrate very much with their non Jewish hosts which also contributed to setting them apart

 

 

Hitler blamed them for the loss of World War One which was a complete and utter lie but he used it as an excuse to label them as traitors. It was also a good excuse for the Nazi leaders to do a lot of looting of Jewish wealth and property

 

Nowadays it's all about the State of Israel and it's continued existence of course.

Edited by Harleyman

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Well it all started with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.....

 

Anti-Judaism pre-dates the birth of Christ.

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Sadly, recently there has been a growing rise in racial anti-Semitism across Europe, which is more to do with politics in the middle east then anything else.

 

Exactly, and you could substitute jew for umemployed or overweight person too

Edited by Mecky

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You should also consider the fact that the Jewish religion was very intolerant of other religions. (In ancient times) Whenever Rome invaded or assimilated another culture it accepted its gods and beliefs expecting the conquered country to do the same. The Jews would never do this. The destruction of the temple by the Emperor Titus was part of the attempt to subdue the Jews. The diaspora itself was probably a result of the Jews refusing to accept dominance by other religions.

 

Your question needs a very long answer, one that will always be debatable. Their religion was one of the first monotheistic religions which has been the foundation of both Christianity and Islam. A question that remains unanswered is would the world have been better without it?

 

So that's a yes, then?

 

 

I must admit I thought this. Why should they be forced to accept other people's Gods just to fit in, especially those of invaders? Surely we all have the right to believe what we want to believe, I don't think it makes us intolerant of other's beliefs or religions, just that we treasure our own. As someone said, they don't seek converts so I don't understand the issue. For example, despite being brought up Catholic, I don't believe in any God from any religion. I wouldn't bow or pray to any of them. Doesn't mean I don't acknowledge that other people believe, and I'm happy for them if it works for them.

 

That said, it comes back to a point I made that this relates to something that was relevant in ancient times - how can that possibly be an influence today? I'm truly baffled :confused:

 

Thanks for your input though, I never knew any of this!

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I think we already know;)

 

Yes Muslims who hate Jews and Israelis.

 

---------- Post added 03-02-2015 at 10:06 ----------

 

All religions have their rules and expect their followers to obey them them.This does not make them intolerant of others. In fact is that the Jews accept that most people are not Jews and they do not seek converts. The only way to be a Jew is to be born one. All others are tolerated.

Not all religions execute people for joining another religion, the only one that does this today as far as I'm aware is Islam.

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Anti-Judaism pre-dates the birth of Christ.

 

At least someone contributing to this thread isn't massively ignorant. Anyone who thinks that it started with the death of the son of a wizard is incorrect. Anyone who thinks it began with Hitler have a poor grasp of history.

 

Anti-semitism has been common for centuries. Even if you believe the guff in the Bible and think Jesus was executed at their behest you should read the Old Testament, you heard of Moses?

 

As far as I know Anti Semitism was bought to Europe by the Early Romans who received an influx of Jew refugees. Roman writing shows the Anti-semitism was based on racial rather than religious principles. A bit like the dislike of Poles and other Eastern Europeans in this country.

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So that's a yes, then?

 

No it isn't, but yours is a stupid question. Maybe a little research will enlighten you, try Google.

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At least someone contributing to this thread isn't massively ignorant. Anyone who thinks that it started with the death of the son of a wizard is incorrect. Anyone who thinks it began with Hitler have a poor grasp of history.

 

Anti-semitism has been common for centuries. Even if you believe the guff in the Bible and think Jesus was executed at their behest you should read the Old Testament, you heard of Moses?

 

As far as I know Anti Semitism was bought to Europe by the Early Romans who received an influx of Jew refugees. Roman writing shows the Anti-semitism was based on racial rather than religious principles. A bit like the dislike of Poles and other Eastern Europeans in this country.

 

Well the Jews are rare in religious terms in that they are a race as well as a religion.

 

Whilst there are of course other Semite peoples the Jews regard someone as truly Jewish if their mother was Jewish. The fathers race and faith isn't important.

 

Quite a wise way of looking at it, given the 'It's a wise man who knows his own father' saying. :)

 

For an up to date example of this ancient ongoing nonsense take a look at this.

 

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEgQqQIwBg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flondon%2Fpolice-alerted-to-antisemitic-rally-planned-for-stamford-hill-10017202.html&ei=Ca7QVOuBFYTV7QaDpYDIDw&usg=AFQjCNGAQhouYKVUVV9KEqIAHTMbMQPiSA

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At least someone contributing to this thread isn't massively ignorant. Anyone who thinks that it started with the death of the son of a wizard is incorrect. Anyone who thinks it began with Hitler have a poor grasp of history.

 

Anti-semitism has been common for centuries. Even if you believe the guff in the Bible and think Jesus was executed at their behest you should read the Old Testament, you heard of Moses?

 

As far as I know Anti Semitism was bought to Europe by the Early Romans who received an influx of Jew refugees. Roman writing shows the Anti-semitism was based on racial rather than religious principles. A bit like the dislike of Poles and other Eastern Europeans in this country.

 

But isnt it just racism with a specific name attached. Many races and religions over the years have been discriminated against for one reason or another. Yet why does this particular group have a different name to describe it?

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. Yet why does this particular group have a different name to describe it?

 

Why don't you get out the Ouija board, hold a seance, and ask the racist German Jew-hater called Wilhelm Marr who invented the word antisemitisch to describe Jew-hatred?

 

Incidentally, antisemitism should not be slept with a hyphen, because this gives rise to the misconception that the word has something to do with Semitic languages and the people who speak them who are not exclusively Hebrew speakers. In the original German, the word is never spelt with a hyphen.

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