It is very difficult to logically explain the reason why one people decides that it is better than another. The term "anti-Semitism" refers to intolerance and hostility towards the Jewish people. This hostility can manifest itself in everyday life, in culture, in religious fanaticism, in political views. Anti-Semitism takes a variety of forms: from insults, restrictions and prohibitions to attempts at complete extermination (genocide). Why is this happening? Let's try, if not understand, then at least find out where the roots of this phenomenon come from.

Persecution comes from paganism

Now we can say with confidence that the first shoots of hatred towards Judaism were already cultivated in the pagan world. And even though there was no such term as anti-Semitism then, Jews were oppressed no less because of it. The pagan world with its diversity of gods was very hostile to monotheistic Judaism. There are literary sources dating back to the third century BC that describe the confrontation between Judaism and paganism.

An example of this opposition is the writing of the Egyptian priest Manetho. It describes the first conflicts and oppression of the Jewish people, in fact, the initial anti-Semitism. What is It is faith in one (or single) God. As you understand, it was simply impossible for the pagan world to understand and accept such a religious view.

Evidence of persecution and violence comes to us from both Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Jews, with varying degrees of success, fought for their identity, observed their rituals and rejected the views imposed on them. This often led to increased hostility, especially from peoples who submitted to Roman authority.

Christianity and Judaism

The rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire significantly increased the persecution of the Jewish people. Now the Jews experienced the full force of religious intolerance. The causes of anti-Semitism could be found by reading the New Testament. The Jews were directly blamed for the crucifixion of Jesus, and religious fanatics of all stripes began to consider it their right to oppress and destroy this people. Christian preachers and priests constantly cultivate hatred in order to unite their flock.

Under the influence of the Church, Jews were prohibited from performing public service, owning land, buying slaves (Christians), building synagogues, and marrying Christians. Later they were forced to be baptized, and those who did not agree with this began to be exterminated.

Islam and Judaism

The followers of Islam also did not favor the Jews. that at the beginning of the 7th century AD there were clashes between the founder of Islam and the Jewish tribes, this conflict developed less aggressively in that period. The Muslim world did not show such open hostility towards the Jews as the Christian world.

Antisemitism and education

In the 18th century, the influence of religion on public life became weaker. It could be expected that anti-Semitism would also weaken. What actually happened? Has life become easier for the Jewish people? The replacement of the priest's cassock with professorial frock coats led to the fact that scientific theories began to be subsumed under religious hostility. Scientists began to diligently prove to the world that European culture is based only on Christian morality, and Judaism is inferior to it in everything. Now thinkers tried to base claims that Jews were morally inferior, as was their religion. Bloody rituals began to be attributed to them, they were accused of mixing matzo with Christian blood, and an opinion arose that Jews were striving for complete world domination.

Racism and anti-Semitism

In the 18th and 19th centuries, religious intolerance gave way to racial intolerance. In fact, the focus has changed, but the essence remains the same. Jews were now hated because they lived in closed communities. Despite the fact that a large number of famous scientists, influential bankers and successful traders came from this environment, they continued to be considered morally inferior and defective.

Nominally, Jews had equal rights in society, which allowed them to receive a good education and develop their own business, but often insults were thrown at them only because minds poisoned by hatred were now openly jealous of commercial success. The emancipation of the Jewish people, instead of the expected reconciliation, brought an unprecedented surge of aggression.

It became more and more clear how dangerous anti-Semitism is. What could happen in society for people to lose their human face and allow themselves to take part in Jewish pogroms? Can a person in a normal state beat a woman and a child to death just because they are Jews? Brutal pogroms took place in Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. But Germany has gone the furthest in this matter. Entire anti-Semitic parties began to appear here, and then anti-Semitism was adopted at the legislative level.

Antisemitism in Germany

How did German ideologists manage to combine racism and anti-Semitism in their minds? What did they mean by racism in general? It was about a political theory, the main idea of ​​which is the division of people into various biological groups. The division was made according to external characteristics, that is, by the color of hair, eyes and skin, by the shape of the nose and body structure. Each race was assigned different mental and physical characteristics, as well as certain behavioral patterns.

Racists are confident that it is useless to educate and culturally enrich representatives of other racial groups; they are not able to perceive changes for the better. The Germans, as representatives of the Aryan race, elevated themselves to the very pinnacle of development, and the long-suffering Jews were ranked among the lower races.

The most terrible combination in the history of mankind has become such a combination as fascism and anti-Semitism. Fascism itself is a harsh authoritarian principle of government based on ideas of racial superiority. Hitler generally put forward the theory that the Aryan is the actual prototype of man in general. Everyone else is just waiting for her to come and assert her dominance over them.

Holocaust

Racist pseudo-scientists argued that physically and mentally disabled people, as well as representatives of other races, had no value and were subject to extermination.

Taking into account this theory, the Jews were subject to extermination, which means that the construction of closed areas (ghettos) and concentration camps began. In total, tens of thousands of such establishments were built during World War II. The “Jewish question”, at the instigation of Nazi Germany, was resolved as follows:

• all Jews were to be concentrated in closed ghettos;
• they must be separated from other nationalities;
• Jews were deprived of any opportunities to participate in society;
• they could not have property that was confiscated or simply plundered;
• the Jewish population was driven to the point of complete exhaustion and exhaustion, so that slave labor became the only way to maintain life.

The German people supported their Fuhrer in his quest to destroy an entire nation. Massive manifestations of anti-Semitism made possible the Holocaust, during which more than 60% of the entire Jewish population of Europe was exterminated. Officially, 6 million Jews are considered victims of the Holocaust; this figure was recognized at the Nuremberg trials. Of these, only 4 million were identified by name. This discrepancy in numbers is explained by the fact that Jews were exterminated in entire communities, leaving no opportunity to report the number of victims and their names.

Anti-Semitism in Russia

Many famous writers, for example Dostoevsky, made anti-Semitic statements. The revolutionary masses also had their opponents of Jewry, for example, Bakunin. Unfortunately, anti-Semitism in Russia took an aggressive form, because the easiest way is to blame all your problems on the Jews.

Antisemitism in the USSR

The Soviet government tried to combat anti-Semitic sentiments. But it was too difficult to convince the people, accustomed to hating Jews and blaming them for all their troubles. During the NEP period, these sentiments intensified significantly, as Jews conducted successful and active economic activities. The massive presence of Jews in the ranks of party functionaries added fuel to the fire. There was an opinion that only they benefited from the revolution.

After the conclusion of the agreement with Hitler, mention of the problems of anti-Semitism came to naught, and there was no coverage of the problems of Jews in Germany at all.

Today, despite all the suffering of the Jewish people, anti-Semitism has not been eradicated. For some reason, people believe that they have the right to dictate to an entire nation how to build their lives, how to conduct religious rituals, and what days to rest. Who gave them this right? There is no answer to this question, just as there are no objective reasons to try to eliminate and destroy people with a different outlook on life.

Jews are God's chosen people. And not only because he descended from the “father of nations Abraham” and gave the world the Messiah. The entire history of the Israeli people, their victories and defeats are a vivid example of walking with God for the whole world. Even when the Jews apostatized from God, sinned, and served idols, God still showed His wrath and mercy, His love and His faithfulness to this people.

Why do they still not like Jews? Everyone knows that these are special people. Most of them are successful in business, in medicine, in politics, science and even wars, whatever they undertake - success is everywhere. Here is one interesting fragment from a book on psychology: “The Laws of Human Behavior.”

The law of “inclusion of the Jew.” Any undertaking - I’m not saying whether it will succeed or not - can be carried out truly and seriously if there is at least one Jew among the executors. Stalin said: “As a people’s commissar, I came to Lenin and said: I am appointing such and such a commission. I list him so-and-so... Vladimir Ilyich says to me: “not a single Jew? No, it won’t work!”

One can list endlessly those areas of life where they occupy primacy; they are an example of deep wisdom and humility. And no matter how much someone doesn’t like it, nothing can be done about it or changed, because God Himself stands behind this people, and you can’t argue against God. Therefore, if the Word says to bless them - Bless wherever you meet. A person cannot change that.

“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you; and through you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Genesis 12:3

Not everyone likes this attitude of God towards the Jews. Although they say that God loves everyone equally, why does He single out the Jews? Listen, who are you (man-dust, taken from dust) to tell God.

“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who gave it to Him in advance, so that He should repay?” Rom.11:34.

This is why attitudes towards Jews around the world are different. That is why the spirit of anti-Semitism is still alive - a hostile, hateful attitude towards Jews.

It is simply amazing how the anti-Semitic myth spreads, takes root and becomes entrenched in people's minds. And no facts can convince those who believe in this myth, especially if their fathers and grandfathers believed in it.

We are dealing not just with some natural sociologically, psychologically and economically explainable phenomenon, but with spiritual sabotage. And this sabotage spiritual struggle against Jews will intensify in recent times. It will not subside until the second coming of the Messiah, but on the contrary will intensify.

The spirit of malice towards Jews or the spirit of anti-Semitism is one of the most important spirits of malice, which from heaven attacks the hearts and minds of people, their will, their lives. This is a very ancient spirit. If wound
Previously, he carried out his activities among the nations that surrounded Israel directly, but in our time this spirit is conducting its campaign throughout the entire earth. Through various media, he is trying to poison the minds of people in all countries of the world.

In this regard, I would like to remind you of a recent event. The so-called “Peace Flotilla” of six ships, which, according to the official version of the organizer, the Turkish group IHH, included about 600 activists of international pro-Palestinian groups heading to the Gaza Strip with humanitarian cargo, was attacked by Israeli special forces in the Mediterranean Sea on the night of May 31.

In connection with this incident, anti-Israeli demonstrations took place in different countries of the world. European diplomatic agencies demanded an explanation from Israel regarding the incident.
In fact, after repeated warnings not to trespass into territorial waters, Israeli sailors were forced to carry out orders and boarded
courts and faced fierce resistance from Free Gaza activists. A real battle began on board a large ship, the Turkish ferry Mavi Marmara: firearms and bladed weapons, including knives, batons and crowbars, were used against the military. The activists also took away the service weapon from one of the soldiers. In addition, Reuters editors removed details from photographs depicting activists captured by Israeli commandos that discredited the activists who were on the boat to Gaza and who claimed to be peaceful activists.

In particular, from one of the photographs showing an Israeli special forces soldier knocked to the floor, a fragment with a knife in the hand of one of the Mavi Marmara passengers disappeared.
It is worth noting that this is not the only photograph from the site of the Peace Flotilla capture that was “cropped” by Reuters.

So, in the original version of the photograph, which shows an Israeli military man seized by activists from the ship, on the right side you can see blood on the railing, the hand of one of the Marmara passengers, in which he is holding a knife, and just above the bloody hand of another Israeli special forces soldier who was taken hostage . However, in the Reuters photograph after processing the image there was no knife, no blood on the railing, no traces of the second commando.

If we objectively consider the conflict, discard the blinding anger towards the Jews, and look inside the problem itself, we can understand that Turkey committed a provocation against Israel, pursuing several goals - to earn the trust of Iran, to receive the necessary dividends among the electorate on the eve of the parliamentary elections, and also to increase Turkey's weight in the eyes of the Arab world. It’s just a pity that the bargaining chips in this game are human lives.

Let's leave the conflict with Turkey aside. Most people who are hostile to Jews have no natural or logical reason for it. At the everyday level, they say that Jews are greedy, treacherous, cunning, they need to be feared and beware, they need to be protected from. In general, it is necessary to take some measures in relation to them. You can often hear a similar statement: “This does not apply to my personal friends. Almost all the Jews I personally interact with are nice and kind people. But in general, Jews are terrible!” Are you familiar with such sayings?

The true cause of anti-Semitism can only be understood when you recognize your Lord Jesus Christ, and moreover, recognize him as a Jew. In repentance, the Spirit of God saves and frees us from anti-Semitism. You become a new creation. As you delve into the word of God, communicate with your Lord, serve Him, love for the Jews begins to reveal itself in you. Compassion appears for those Jews whom you previously hated, and then it will be revealed why everything was the other way around before: because you then had the nature of Satan, and Satan fiercely hates Jews, for him the Jewish people are like a bone in his throat.

In the end, I would like to say that no one will ever be able to destroy God’s people, neither the Crusades, nor pogroms and atrocities, nor fascism, nor all kinds of coalitions or super states, because the Lord planned to make the Jewish people a crystal, around which and thanks to which they should there will be spiritual crystallization and spiritual rebirth of the whole world.

In 1791, Russian Empress Catherine II issued a decree on the “Pale of Settlement,” which significantly limited the freedom of action of the Jewish population of Russia: from now on, Jews were prohibited from settling and trading outside the territory specified in the law - parts of modern Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, Lithuania and Latvia . This was one of the first anti-Semitic bills in Russia, which existed right up to 1917. However, this is far from the first and not the last case in history. Here we will try to identify the main causes of anti-Semitism in Russia and the world.

1. Strangers

Conflicts with Jews are mentioned in ancient Egyptian chronicles, written a thousand years BC, as well as in the ancient times of Ancient Rome, Greece and Persia.
In the Middle Ages in Europe, Jews were sooner or later expelled from any country where they were: from England in 1290, from France in 1306 and 1394, from Hungary between 1349 and 1360, from Austria in 1421, from the German principalities in throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, from Spain in 1497, from Bohemia and Moravia in 1745. Before the eastern territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was annexed to Russia in the 16th century, Jews were not allowed into the country at all. What is the reason for total intolerance?

People are afraid of what they don't know or don't understand. Judaism is not just a religion, it is an integral picture of the world, and over several thousand years of existence it has practically not changed. Judaism is practically impossible to assimilate, traditions are unbreakable. This isolation periodically turned against the Jews due to the neighbors' distrust of Jewish strangers.

2. Rich and greedy.

This statement has no weighty arguments, since among the Jews, as in any other people, there are both very rich and extremely poor. The reason for the emergence of the stereotype of greed may have been medieval Jews who were engaged in an ignoble occupation for Christians - usury. Earnings are also influenced, of course, by the level of education, and even in ancient times, Jews had a much higher percentage of literate people compared to other peoples, which means they had more opportunities to earn money.

3. The “Jews rule the world” theory

The theory says that there are “secret Jewish societies” in which the fate of the world is decided. It emerged relatively recently due to certain influential figures of Jewish origin in the fields of economics, politics and science.

4. They killed Christ

Not really. Christ was crucified by the Romans with the support of the Jews; this method of execution was quite popular in Ancient Rome for the most dangerous criminals - robbers, runaway slaves, rebels, prisoners of war. The Jews were declared deicides only several hundred years later. However, Jesus forgave the Jews, and later the Pope himself dropped the accusation in 1963.

5. Theory of racial inequality

As is known, Hitler himself adhered to it. However, such sentiments began to appear long before he came to power, back at the beginning of the 20th century. It was believed that Jews were also inferior, like people with genetic or mental illnesses, and were subject to destruction for the purposes of “racial hygiene.”
In the 19th century, the Jewish community in Germany even abandoned their beliefs in “God’s chosenness” in order to assimilate into German culture and reduce anti-Semitic sentiments, but this did not save them from the Holocaust. At the same time, adherents of Islam and Christianity also openly declared that they were chosen by God, but for some reason everyone tolerated them and still tolerates them.

In our time in Russia, anti-Semitism is still strong, this is a legacy of the totalitarian regime, where any individuality, such as religion or ethnicity, was suppressed. In the era of globalization, prejudices are being erased, but perhaps anti-Semitism will exist as long as the Jewish people exist. This is a kind of payment for loyalty to traditions and one’s culture, which challenges other ethnic groups.

On December 13, 1742, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna issued a decree on the expulsion of the Jews. This was one of the first anti-Semitic campaigns in Russia, but far from the first and not the last in world history. Our article is devoted to the reasons for this phenomenon

Eternal outcasts

Anti-Semitism has found supporters in different societies and at different times, starting with Ancient Egypt. The first known non-Jewish source mentioning the people of Israel is the stele of Pharaoh Merneptah, dating from 1220 BC. e. It says: “Israel is destroyed.” The Assyrians, the Persians, and the ancient Romans were also Judephobes.

In the Middle Ages in Europe, Jews were sooner or later expelled from almost every country where they lived: from England in 1290, from France in 1306 and 1394, from Hungary between 1349 and 1360, from Austria in 1421, from the German principalities throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, from Spain in 1497, from Bohemia and Moravia in 1745. From the 15th century to 1772, Jews were not allowed into Russia, and when they were finally accepted, they were allowed to live only outside the Pale of Settlement. There were even attempts to completely exterminate the Jewish population in one territory or another (for example, in Nazi Germany or in Ukraine during the time of Bogdan Khmelnitsky). From 1948 to 1967, almost all the Jews of Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, although not officially expelled, fled these countries out of fear for their lives. What is the reason for such an ancient and exceptional rejection of the Jewish ethnic group?

Judaism as a worldview

According to the American historian Denis Prager, “Anti-Semites oppose Jews not so much because Jews are rich - at all times, poor Jews were hated no less; not because they are strong - weak Jews have always been the prey of anti-Semitic bandits; not because they are characterized by repulsive behavior - anti-Semites never spared even kind Jews; and not because the ruling classes under capitalism directed the discontent of the working people towards the Jews - pre-capitalist and modern non-capitalist societies were significantly more anti-Semitic than capitalist ones.

The fundamental cause of anti-Semitism is what made Jews Jews, namely Judaism." Judaism is not just a religion, it is a holistic picture of the world, often alien to the picture of the world of those peoples among whom Jewish communities existed and exist. Judaism does not lend itself to assimilation and openly separates itself from the traditions of surrounding ethnic groups, turning Jews into eternal outsiders who, at best, should be treated with suspicion.

Those who did not honor the emperor

In the ancient world, the Jews were the only people professing monotheism. But that's not so bad. While pagan peoples (Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, etc.) were tolerant and even “exchanged” deities, the Jews considered their God the only one in the universe, and the gods of their neighbors were considered dead idols. This attitude especially irritated those peoples who had a tradition of deifying rulers. First of all, this concerns Ancient Rome. This was no longer a religious, but a state problem: Jews were turning into a “fifth column,” a potentially unreliable element that raised doubts about political loyalty. And if you consider that the Jews several times raised bloody uprisings against the Romans, then you can understand why they were not favored in the empire.

Crucified Christ

Because of their adherence to monotheism, the Jews spoiled relations with the followers of Christ, refusing to recognize God in Jesus, which was perceived by the latter as a betrayal. In the wake of this confrontation, the sons of Israel entered the Middle Ages, turning into outcasts of the Christian world (there was talk that the Jews crucified the Lord, that they drink the blood of Christian babies at Easter, spread the plague and poison wells).

But even under these conditions, the Jews continued to emphasize their identity. The fact is that the Torah forbids Jews to hide their faith; on the contrary, according to its instructions, a faithful son of Israel must publicly emphasize that he is a Jew. Therefore, Jews had to openly behave differently from their non-ethnic surroundings: observe the Sabbath, eat differently and dress differently. In addition, unlike the New Testament, Jewish law did not prohibit usury, a low and despicable craft in the eyes of Christians. All this could not but bring hostile feelings on the Jews from their neighbors (it is significant that if a Jew accepted Christianity, hostility towards him faded away).

Desiring world domination

An additional irritating factor was the Jews' belief in their chosenness by God. And although Jews interpret their chosenness exclusively as preaching the Old Testament faith and morals throughout the world, anti-Semites have always tried to present the matter as if Jews lay claim to innate national superiority and on this basis strive to occupy a dominant position in society. These ideas especially spread in modern times. They do not lose popularity in modern society. Indeed, among successful entrepreneurs and politicians, Jews make up a significant percentage (about 30%). And in general, the level of well-being of Jewish families is often higher than that of their non-Jewish neighbors.

The reason here again lies in Jewish traditions. Judaism has always considered study a religious obligation for all its followers. “It is the duty of every Jew,” wrote the medieval lawyer Moses Maimonides, “to study the Torah, whether he is poor or rich, in good or weak health, full of youthful strength or old and weak.” Not only men, but also women had to understand literacy. This tradition, dating back to ancient times, has made itself felt in modern society, where knowledge has become the main value. “The Jewish passion for learning,” writes Denis Praeger, “helps explain why Jews have the highest average income of all ethnic groups, 72% higher than the national (American) average and 40% higher than the Japanese in second place.” " Of course, anti-Semites interpret this as confirmation of their fears about Jewish claims to world domination.

Fee for uniqueness

As sociological surveys show, even in such a tolerant country as the United States, 60% of respondents attributed their adherence to the idea of ​​​​God's chosenness to the “latently negative” qualities of Jews. “This is 5 times more,” writes Denis Prager, “than those who believe that “the Jews have seized too much power,” and 3 times more than those who believe that “the Jews are trying to get into places where they are not wanted.” , and 2 times more than those who are convinced that “Jews don’t care about anyone but themselves.”

In Russia, these figures are many times higher, as well as in Central Europe in general. In many ways, these are echoes of the totalitarian regimes that the 20th century was rich in. Such regimes inevitably turn out to be anti-Semitic. The dictator's goal is complete control over the lives of his citizens, and therefore the regime cannot tolerate uncontrolled expressions of religiosity or the national individuality inherent in Judaism. Jews are accused of cunning, deceit, love of money and unscrupulousness - all this supposedly helps them make capital for themselves. “Probably a Jew,” is often said behind the backs of those who have achieved great success in life, no matter whether they are actually Jews or not.

Nevertheless, in our time, anti-Semitism is gradually declining: the progress of globalization with its ethnic tolerance is having an impact. But this decline is unlikely to be rapid. Anti-Semitism in one form or another will be alive as long as Jewish culture exists. This is the retribution of the Jews for their uniqueness: after all, the Jews are the only ethnic group that still remembers the Egyptian pharaohs, who lived to this day, preserving all their traditions and familiar picture of the world (the Chinese, however, also trace their history back to ancient times, but they are a special subject ). In this sense, the Jews are truly a chosen people, patiently suffering for loyalty to their culture, which often challenges the cultures of neighboring ethnic groups, giving rise to a feeling of misunderstanding and hidden threat in the latter towards the Jews.

Photo: Webscribe (CC-BY-SA),Aleksandar Todorovic/Shutterstock.com, Gubin Yury/Shutterstock.com, Shutterstock (x5)

On December 13, 1742, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna issued a decree on the expulsion of the Jews. This was one of the first anti-Semitic campaigns in Russia, but far from the first and not the last in world history.
Why does the whole world hate Jews?....
Why is anti-Semitism so widespread among a variety of peoples?......
What's wrong with Jews?...
History has shown that Jews have been expelled from more than 80 different countries at various times over the past 1,700 years. Historians and experts have concluded that there are at least a few different reasons for this:

1. Eternal outcasts.

Anti-Semitism has found supporters in different societies and at different times, starting with Ancient Egypt. The first known non-Jewish source mentioning the people of Israel is the stele of Pharaoh Merneptah, dating from 1220 BC. e. It says: “Israel is destroyed.” The Assyrians, the Persians, and the ancient Romans were also Judephobes.

In the Middle Ages in Europe, Jews were sooner or later expelled from almost every country where they lived: from England in 1290, from France in 1306 and 1394, from Hungary between 1349 and 1360, from Austria in 1421, from the German principalities throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, from Spain in 1497, from Bohemia and Moravia in 1745. From the 15th century to 1772, Jews were not allowed into Russia, and when they were finally accepted, they were allowed to live only outside the Pale of Settlement. There were even attempts to completely exterminate the Jewish population in one territory or another (for example, in Nazi Germany or in Ukraine during the time of Bogdan Khmelnitsky). From 1948 to 1967, almost all the Jews of Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, although not officially expelled, fled these countries out of fear for their lives. What is the reason for such an ancient and exceptional rejection of the Jewish ethnic group?

2. Judaism as a worldview.

According to the American historian Denis Prager, “Anti-Semites oppose Jews not so much because Jews are rich - at all times, poor Jews were hated no less; not because they are strong - weak Jews have always been the prey of anti-Semitic bandits; not because they are characterized by repulsive behavior - anti-Semites never spared even kind Jews; and not because the ruling classes under capitalism directed the discontent of the working people towards the Jews - pre-capitalist and modern non-capitalist societies were significantly more anti-Semitic than capitalist ones.

The fundamental cause of anti-Semitism is what made Jews Jews, namely Judaism." Judaism is not just a religion, it is a holistic picture of the world, often alien to the picture of the world of those peoples among whom Jewish communities existed and exist. Judaism does not lend itself to assimilation and openly separates itself from the traditions of surrounding ethnic groups, turning Jews into eternal outsiders who, at best, should be treated with suspicion

3. Those who did not honor the emperor.

In the ancient world, the Jews were the only people professing monotheism. But that's not so bad. While pagan peoples (Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, etc.) were tolerant and even “exchanged” deities, the Jews considered their God the only one in the universe, and the gods of their neighbors were considered dead idols. This attitude especially irritated those peoples who had a tradition of deifying rulers. First of all, this concerns Ancient Rome. This was no longer a religious, but a state problem: Jews were turning into a “fifth column,” a potentially unreliable element that raised doubts about political loyalty. And if you consider that the Jews several times raised bloody uprisings against the Romans, then you can understand why they were not favored in the empire.

4. Those who crucified Christ.

Because of their adherence to monotheism, the Jews spoiled relations with the followers of Christ, refusing to recognize God in Jesus, which was perceived by the latter as a betrayal. In the wake of this confrontation, the sons of Israel entered the Middle Ages, turning into outcasts of the Christian world (there was talk that the Jews crucified the Lord, that they drink the blood of Christian babies at Easter, spread the plague and poison wells).
But even under these conditions, the Jews continued to emphasize their identity. The fact is that the Torah forbids Jews to hide their faith; on the contrary, according to its instructions, a faithful son of Israel must publicly emphasize that he is a Jew. Therefore, Jews had to openly behave differently from their non-ethnic surroundings: observe the Sabbath, eat differently and dress differently. In addition, unlike the New Testament, Jewish law did not prohibit usury, a low and despicable craft in the eyes of Christians. All this could not but bring hostile feelings on the Jews from their neighbors (it is significant that if a Jew accepted Christianity, hostility towards him faded away).
5. Those who want world domination.

An additional irritating factor was the Jews' belief in their chosenness by God. And although Jews interpret their chosenness exclusively as preaching the Old Testament faith and morals throughout the world, anti-Semites have always tried to present the matter as if Jews lay claim to innate national superiority and on this basis strive to occupy a dominant position in society. These ideas especially spread in modern times. They do not lose popularity in modern society. Indeed, among successful entrepreneurs and politicians, Jews make up a significant percentage (about 30%). And in general, the level of well-being of Jewish families is often higher than that of their non-Jewish neighbors.

The reason here again lies in Jewish traditions. Judaism has always considered study a religious obligation for all its followers. “It is the duty of every Jew,” wrote the medieval lawyer Moses Maimonides, “to study the Torah, whether he is poor or rich, in good or weak health, full of youthful strength or old and weak.” Not only men, but also women had to understand literacy. This tradition, dating back to ancient times, has made itself felt in modern society, where knowledge has become the main value. “The Jewish passion for learning,” writes Denis Praeger, “helps explain why Jews have the highest average income of all ethnic groups, 72% higher than the national (American) average and 40% higher than the Japanese in second place.” " Of course, anti-Semites interpret this as confirmation of their fears about Jewish claims to world domination.

6. Fee for uniqueness.

As sociological surveys show, even in such a tolerant country as the United States, 60% of respondents attributed their adherence to the idea of ​​​​God's chosenness to the “latently negative” qualities of Jews. “This is 5 times more,” writes Denis Prager, “than those who believe that “the Jews have seized too much power,” and 3 times more than those who believe that “the Jews are trying to get into places where they are not wanted.” , and 2 times more than those who are convinced that “Jews don’t care about anyone but themselves.”
In Russia, these figures are many times higher, as well as in Central Europe in general. In many ways, these are echoes of the totalitarian regimes that the 20th century was rich in. Such regimes inevitably turn out to be anti-Semitic. The dictator's goal is complete control over the lives of his citizens, and therefore the regime cannot tolerate uncontrolled expressions of religiosity or the national individuality inherent in Judaism. Jews are accused of cunning, deceit, love of money and unscrupulousness - all this supposedly helps them make capital for themselves. “Probably a Jew,” is often said behind the backs of those who have achieved great success in life, no matter whether they are actually Jews or not.
Nevertheless, in our time, anti-Semitism is gradually declining: the progress of globalization with its ethnic tolerance is having an impact. But this decline is unlikely to be rapid. Anti-Semitism in one form or another will be alive as long as Jewish culture exists. This is the retribution of the Jews for their uniqueness: after all, the Jews are the only ethnic group that still remembers the Egyptian pharaohs, who lived to this day, preserving all their traditions and familiar picture of the world (the Chinese, however, also trace their history back to ancient times, but they are a special subject ). In this sense, the Jews are truly a chosen people, patiently suffering for loyalty to their culture, which often challenges the cultures of neighboring ethnic groups, giving rise to a feeling of misunderstanding and hidden threat in the latter towards the Jews.