Why Do People Hate Jews?

Summary

In this video, Mr. Beat explores the historical persecution of Jewish people throughout the world, highlighting their consistent targeting despite being a small minority. He discusses the roots of antisemitism, from ancient Roman laws to the Holocaust, and touches on modern issues like the Arab-Israeli conflict and the connection between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. The video also emphasizes the importance of understanding and combating this persistent hatred.

Takeaways

• 😔 Antisemitism is a persistent form of prejudice and discrimination against Jewish people throughout history.
• 🌐 Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group, both an ethnic group and followers of the religion of Judaism.
• 📜 Historically, Jews have been marginalized and discriminated against in various societies, including ancient Rome and medieval Europe.
• 🏰 During the Middle Ages, Jews were often forced to live in segregated areas, known as ghettos, and were restricted in their economic activities, leading to the stereotype of Jews as moneylenders.
• 💵 The stereotype of Jews as greedy was reinforced by their involvement in money lending, a profession they were allowed to engage in when Christians were not.
• 😷 The Black Death in the 14th century led to widespread persecution of Jews, as they were falsely accused of causing the plague by poisoning wells.
• 📜 Martin Luther, a key figure in the Protestant Reformation, wrote virulently antisemitic works that contributed to the spread of antisemitism.
• 📜 The term 'antisemitism' was first used in 1873 by Wilhelm Marr, who advocated for the exclusion of Jews from society.
• 🕍 The creation of the State of Israel in 1948 led to a new wave of antisemitism, with some linking the policies of Israel to broader anti-Jewish sentiment.
• 🌟 Despite the decline in state-sponsored antisemitism after World War II, prejudice against Jews persists in various forms, including online and in certain regions.

Q & A

What is the first group that comes to mind when thinking of consistent persecution throughout history?

The first group that comes to mind for many when considering consistent persecution throughout history is the Jewish people.

What is the definition of a 'Jew' as discussed in the script?

A 'Jew' is defined as someone who identifies with the cultural community whose traditional religion is Judaism and who traces their ancestry back to the ancient Hebrew people of Israel, including those who identify as Jewish but are not religious.

How did the rise of Christianity contribute to the marginalization of Jews?

The rise of Christianity led to the marginalization of Jews as Roman rulers discriminated against them for not accepting Jesus as the Messiah, leading to laws that marginalized and discriminated against Jews.

Why were Jews often forced into money lending during the Middle Ages?

Jews were often forced into money lending during the Middle Ages because the Catholic Church prohibited Christians from loaning money for profit, while Jews were allowed to do so, leading to a stereotype of Jews being greedy.

What role did superstition play in the persecution of Jews during the Black Death?

Superstition and fear led Christians to blame Jews for causing the Black Death, accusing them of poisoning wells, despite the fact that Jews were not dying as much due to their isolation and religious customs.

What was the impact of Martin Luther's pamphlet 'On the Jews and Their Lies' on Jewish people?

Martin Luther's pamphlet 'On the Jews and Their Lies' furthered antisemitism by claiming Jews thirsted for Christian blood and encouraged their killing, contributing to the persecution of Jews.

How did the creation of the term 'anti-Semitism' by Wilhelm Marr reflect the sentiments of the time?

The creation of the term 'anti-Semitism' by Wilhelm Marr reflected the growing antisemitic sentiments of the time, as he wrote that Jews were secretly trying to take over the government and should not be citizens.

What was the significance of the Balfour Declaration in the history of the Jewish people?

The Balfour Declaration was significant as it announced support for establishing a 'national home for the Jewish people' in Palestine, which was a step towards the creation of the State of Israel.

How did the establishment of Israel contribute to modern forms of antisemitism?

The establishment of Israel and subsequent Israeli government actions towards Palestinians and other Arabs have led to a new wave of antisemitism, with some critics conflating legitimate criticism of Israel with hatred towards Jews.

What is the connection between antisemitism and other forms of discrimination as highlighted in the script?

The script highlights that those who dislike Jews often dislike other groups as well, suggesting that antisemitism is part of a broader pattern of discrimination and scapegoating.

Why is it important to differentiate between criticism of Israel and antisemitism?

It is important to differentiate between criticism of Israel and antisemitism because legitimate criticism of a nation's policies should not devolve into hatred or discrimination against its people based on their ethnicity or religion.

Outlines

00:00

😔 The Persistent Persecution of Jews

The video begins with Mr. Beat discussing the disturbing opinions he's encountered online about the persecution of Jews. He then asks his colleagues about the first group that comes to mind when they think of consistent persecution throughout history, to which they unanimously respond, 'the Jewish people.' Despite making up less than one quarter of one percent of the world's population, Jews have been a historically targeted group. The video explores the reasons behind antisemitism, including ignorance and the tendency to blame minority groups for societal ills. The script also mentions the collaboration with Grant Hurst, an EduTuber who has released a video on the history of the Jewish people.

05:02

📜 Historical Context of Antisemitism

This paragraph delves into the historical roots of antisemitism, starting from the time of Jesus and the rise of Christianity, which led to the marginalization of Jews. Roman laws discriminated against Jews, and false rumors about them spread, such as the blood libel. In the Middle Ages, Jews were forced to live in ghettos and were restricted from owning land by the Catholic Church, which inadvertently led them to money lending, creating a stereotype of greed. The paragraph continues with the Black Death, where Jews were falsely accused of causing the plague, leading to mass killings. It also covers Martin Luther's antisemitic writings and the rise of the term 'anti-Semitism' in the 19th century, along with the Dreyfus Affair and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion conspiracy theory.

10:08

🏛️ The Impact of Zionism and the Creation of Israel

The script discusses the push for a Jewish state as a response to centuries of persecution, leading to the Zionist movement. The Balfour Declaration and the subsequent establishment of Israel are highlighted, noting the tensions and conflicts that arose with the local Arab population. The paragraph also addresses the modern forms of antisemitism linked to anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel's policies. It emphasizes the distinction between legitimate criticism and crossing into antisemitic territory. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to consider the persistence of antisemitism and the importance of addressing it.

15:11

📢 Call to End Antisemitism

In the final paragraph, Mr. Beat acknowledges the difficulty of making a video on such a sensitive topic and invites viewers to contribute their thoughts in the comments section. He also encourages a civil discourse and asks viewers to consider solutions to the Arab-Israeli Conflict. The video ends with a shout out to new Patreon supporters and a teaser for the next video in the Compared series.

Keywords

💡Antisemitism

Antisemitism refers to hostility or prejudice against Jewish people. In the video, it is the central theme, exploring the historical and ongoing discrimination and persecution faced by Jews. The script discusses various instances and reasons for antisemitism, such as religious marginalization, economic scapegoating, and conspiracy theories, as illustrated by the laws passed against Jews in Roman times and the accusations during the Black Death.

💡Ethnoreligious group

An ethnoreligious group is a community sharing both a common ethnicity and religious beliefs. In the context of the video, Jewish people are described as an ethnoreligious group, highlighting that their identity is tied to both their cultural heritage and religious practices. The script explains that not all Jews are religious, yet they are still part of the Jewish community, emphasizing the dual nature of their identity.

💡Jewish people

The Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and a nation, originating from the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The video script discusses the historical persecution of Jewish people, noting their consistent targeting throughout history despite being a small minority globally. The term is used to describe the group that has faced antisemitism, as in the instances of the Holocaust and the establishment of Israel.

💡Persecution

Persecution refers to the treatment of an individual or group in a way that subjects them to severe suffering and oppression. In the video, the term is used to describe the systematic mistreatment of Jewish people across different historical periods, such as during the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, and the Holocaust. The script mentions various forms of persecution, including discriminatory laws and violent acts like pogroms.

💡Minority group

A minority group is a part of a population that differs from the majority in significant ways, such as ethnically, religiously, or culturally. The video script uses this term to explain how Jews have often been a minority in many regions, making them susceptible to scapegoating and persecution. The discussion of Jews as a minority in Europe, leading to their targeting, exemplifies this concept.

💡Scapegoat

A scapegoat is a person or group that is blamed for the problems of others, often as a diversion or to deflect criticism. In the video, the term is used to describe how Jews have been historically blamed for various societal issues, such as economic downturns or political unrest. The script mentions that during times of crisis, Jews were often made scapegoats, as seen during the Black Death when they were falsely accused of poisoning wells.

💡Zionism

Zionism is a political movement that supports the establishment of a Jewish homeland in the historic land of Israel. The video discusses Zionism as a response to centuries of persecution, advocating for a Jewish state as a means of self-determination and safety. The script details the growth of Zionism, the Balfour Declaration, and the eventual establishment of Israel, which also led to new forms of antisemitism tied to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

💡Holocaust

The Holocaust refers to the genocide of approximately six million European Jews during World War II, orchestrated by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. The video script mentions the Holocaust as a pinnacle of antisemitism, where Jews were systematically murdered in extermination and concentration camps. This event is highlighted as a tragic and horrifying example of the extreme consequences of antisemitism.

💡Pogrom

A pogrom is a violent attack, especially one against an ethnic or religious group. In the video, the term is used to describe the organized massacres of Jews in Ukraine following the Russian Revolution and the establishment of the Soviet Union. The script points out that these events, known as the 'pogroms,' resulted in the deaths of thousands of Jews and further exemplify the long history of violence against them.

💡Stereotype

A stereotype is an oversimplified and often prejudiced view of a particular group of people. The video script discusses the perpetuation of stereotypes about Jews, such as being greedy or having too much power, which have been used to justify discrimination and violence. The mention of these stereotypes in the context of the video serves to illustrate the deep-rooted prejudices that contribute to antisemitism.

Highlights

Mr. Beat explores the historical persecution of Jewish people throughout world history.

Colleagues unanimously identify Jewish people as a group consistently targeted throughout history.

Jewish people make up less than one quarter of one percent of the world’s population yet are often targeted.

Ignorance and blaming the unknown are cited as reasons for antisemitism.

Jewish people have historically been a minority and easy scapegoat in various regions.

Jews have been dispersed throughout Europe, often as a minority, and have faced persecution.

The video is made in collaboration with Grant Hurst, who released a video on the history of the Jewish people.

Definition of 'Jew' includes cultural, religious, and ancestral ties to ancient Hebrew people.

Jewish people faced marginalization and discrimination in ancient Israel after the rise of Christianity.

Jews were forced to live in segregated ghettos and wear special clothing during the Middle Ages.

Jews were involved in money lending, leading to a stereotype of them being greedy.

Christian rulers used Jewish money for their own purposes, contributing to negative perceptions.

The Black Death led to baseless accusations and mass killings of Jews, who were blamed for the plague.

Martin Luther's pamphlet 'On the Jews and Their Lies' encouraged violence against Jews.

The term 'anti-Semitism' was first used by Wilhelm Marr in 1873, promoting the idea of Jewish world domination.

The Dreyfus Affair and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion are highlighted as examples of fabricated conspiracies against Jews.

The Holocaust, orchestrated by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, led to the death of up to 6 million Jews.

The creation of Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict have contributed to modern forms of antisemitism.

Antisemitism persists due to historical momentum and the tendency to scapegoat Jews for global issues.

The video concludes with a call to action to make antisemitism a thing of the past.

Transcripts

I am a dude known as Mr. Beat

Over the years, I have encountered opinions online that look like this:

Pretty distrubing, yes.

And then I went to my colleagues and asked them this question.

If there was just one group that was just consistently persecuted throughout world history

what's the first group that comes to mind to you?

I probably should tell you here that I did not tell them what to say beforehand

This was not scripted. In fact, they had no idea what this video was going to be about.

They were just being nice, saying "sure I'll answer a couple of questions on camera for you."

Thierolf: Um

McClellan: The Jewish population

Jewish people

Sandburg: The first group I'd probably think of would the the Jewish people

Almost every single one of my colleagues said the same thing.

They said the same group was the first one that came to mind as being targeted

throughout world history

Even though Jews make up less than one quarter of one percent of the world’s population

they do seem to come up a lot that a group that is consistently targeted.

no matter where we're talking about

no matter what time period

including the present.

What causes antisemitism?

McClellan: Because, for the most part they're ignorant.

of what it really stands for

We always have a habit of, when times get tough, of blaming things that we don't know

for the reason why things go wrong.

Thierolf: I'd say in a lot of cases because they were a minority group.

in an area, in a lot of places, that's made them an easy scapegoat for

a lot of majority groups.

to persecute or blame social ills on.

Sandburg: I think they've disseminated throughout the many populations of European countries

and have always been a minority

They have been easy to pick on.

and persecuted and scapegoated for many of the problems of countries

as they've gone through economic turmoil and political turmoil.

And not to discount any of colleague's opinions. They were all great answers.

but I did my own research on this

and here is why Jews are hated

But before I dive into it I wanted to let you know I am making this video alongside Grant Hurst,

a fellow EduTuber, who just released a video about the history of the Jewish people,

so be sure to check that video out after this one.

Before we look at why people hate Jews, also known as Antisemitism, we need to define “Jew.”

A Jew is someone who identifies with the cultural community whose traditional religion is Judaism and who traces their ancestry to the ancient Hebrew people of Israel, all the way back to Abraham.

Jewish people are considered an ethnoreligious group. Both an ethnic group and a religion.

There are plenty who identify as Jews yet are not religious.

Israel’s Law of Return, which is the law that gives Jews the right to visit and be a citizen of Israel, says a Jew is someone with either a Jewish mother or who has converted to Judaism.

Anyway, during the time of Jesus in ancient Israel, many were of course Jewish, including Jesus himself.

After Jesus died, his followers started a new religion called Christianity.

As Christianity spread, and as more and more Roman emperors converted to the religion, Jews became marginalized in society, even though Jews worshipped the same God as Christians did.

Roman rulers viewed the refusal of the Jewish community to accept Jesus as the Messiah as a threat.

They straight up passed laws that discriminated against Jews.

In the year 399, a law saying Jews couldn’t marry Christians

in 439, a law saying Jews couldn’t hold positions in government.

In 531, a law saying they couldn’t appear as witnesses against Christians in court.

Rumors began to spread that Jews had horns and tails, and that they killed Christian children and used their blood for rituals.

In the Middle Ages, many societies forced Jews to live in segregated ghettos and wear special clothing.

The Catholic Church did not allow Jews to own land, so Jews couldn’t build up wealth through property.

However, the Church also didn’t let Christians loan money for profit.

Jews could, so they often turned to money lending to build up wealth.

Due to the fact that nearly every moneylender happened to be Jewish, this ended up creating a stereotype that Jews were greedy.

I mean, people who loan money and charge interest throughout history have rarely been seen in a positive light, amIright?

Christian rulers used Jewish money to build extravagant churches and build up armies.

By the 11th century, Christianity dominated Europe, and the main minority religion was Judaism.

Jews seemed to be the one group Christians could not convert, seen as outsiders.

By this time, the Catholic Church was even teaching that Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus.

And then, the Black Death.

During the 14th century, the bubonic plague spread quickly across Europe, killing around ⅓ of its entire population.

Since this was before science, people had no idea what was causing it.

Due to superstition and fear, and without any evidence whatsoever, Christians blamed Jews for causing the plague, accusing them of poisoning wells to spread the disease.

Probably one reason why Jews seemed to be a scapegoat was because they were not dying from the plague as much as Christians.

We now know this was because Jews were generally isolated in ghettos away from Christians during this time and because they were better about cleaning themselves and washing dead bodies before burial due to their religious customs.

Still, tens of thousands of Jews were burned alive after being blamed for causing the plague.

In 1543, Martin Luther, who gets credit for starting the Protestant Reformation, wrote a pamphlet called “On the Jews and Their Lies.”

In it, he claimed Jews thirsted for Christian blood and actually encouraged the killing of Jews.

Wow

Looking ahead at 1873, when the term “anti-Semitism” first appeared by a dude named Wilhelm Marr.

Marr wrote that Jews were secretly trying to take over the government and that they shouldn’t be citizens.

In 1894, in what became known as The Dreyfus Affair, authorities accused a Jewish French Army captain named Alfred Dreyfus of selling military secrets to the Germans.

After evidence proved his innocence, Anti-semitic French authorities covered that up so he would be found guilty anyway.

In 1903, the Russian secret police published some fake documents that were known as The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which described a conspiracy by rabbis to take over the world.

The Russian secret police later murdered entire Jewish communities.

After the Communists took over in 1917, more than 500 Jewish communities in Ukraine were wiped out, and around 60,000 Jews were killed in what became known as pogroms.

Today the word “pogrom” means any organized massacre of a certain ethnic group.

Then there is probably the most famous and horrifying genocide in world history, the Holocaust, during Adolf Hitler’s reign of terror.

He and his fellow Nazis blamed Jews for all of Germany’s major economic and social problems after World War One.

At that time in Germany, antisemitism seemed to be everywhere.

The Nazis killed up to 6 million Jews during the Holocaust, most of them in extermination camps and concentration camps.

The world was shocked to find out about the Holocaust, and fortunately Antisemitism declined after World War II.

Based on all the attacks on Jews throughout history, for centuries many Jews like Theodor Herzl argued that the only way to escape persecution, discrimination, and genocide was to create a Jewish state, specifically in Palestine, an area where historically Jews lived and the location of ancient Israel.

The movement to try to get Jews to return to Palestine to live and establish their own society was known as Zionism.

Thanks to the efforts of people like Herzl, the Zionist movement grew, and Great Britain got on board.

In 1917, in the Balfour Declaration, Great Britain announced it was for establishing a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine,

an area Britain now controlled after the fall of the Ottoman empire in World War One.

At the time, only about 4% of Palestine was Jewish.

As more and more Jews moved to Palestine in the 1920s and 1930s, resentment grew among the local Arabs in Palestine, who grew to hate Zionism as a threat to their homeland.

You could say Zionism entered the mainstream after people found out how the Nazis had treated the Jews before and during World War II.

Many around the world embraced Zionism after the Holocaust, and Britain asked the newly formed United Nations to step in regarding what to do with Palestine.

The UN proposed two states in Palestine- an Arab one and a Jewish one.

At the time, Jews made up only ⅓ of the population of Palestine and owned only 6% of land.

However, the UN’s two-state solution called for 55% of the land area for the Jewish state.

On May 14, 1948, leaders announced the creation of the State of Israel, which immediately caused a war with neighboring Arab countries.

Israel held back those Arab forces, but it ended up causing more than 700,000 Palestinian Arabs to flee their homeland.

Why do I bring up modern Israel?

Well, while much of the Antisemitism that exists today has its roots in the Middle Ages, a lot of it boiled over with the creation of Israel.

Floriane Hohenberg: You have as well, a new form of antisemitism that is closely linked with anti-Zionism and hostility towards Israel.

There is legitimate criticism of the policies of Israel, but there is a fine line that some people cross very easily between criticism of Israel and antisemitism.

In other words, some claim the creation of Israel and how the Israeli government has treated Palestinians and other Arabs ever since has also caused a new wave of Antisemitism.

Fortunately today, we don’t see the systematic, government-sponsored discrimination and genocide of Jews that we used to see prior to and during World War Two

but hop online and you’ll see a ton of hatred for Jews, and Antisemitic groups are still found all around the world.

And chances are, you’ll likely see some Antisemitic comments below this very video.

Go ahead and check it out. I'm sure they are there.

Even if it’s not straight up hatred, stereotypes persist about Jews.

In 2009, an Anti-Defamation League poll found that 18% of respondents believed that “Jews have too much power in the business world”

and 13% of respondents said Jews “are more likely than others to use shady practices to get what they want.”

Another poll given to citizens of Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan found that more than 89% of respondents had a “very unfavorable” opinion of Jews.

We know the history now, but why does Antisemitism persist?

Well, I think David Feldman, Director of the Pears Institute for the study of Antisemitism, puts it best.

“People who dislike Jews rarely dislike only Jews.”

Jews often get lumped with other hated groups, all convenient scapegoats.

When people today blame the Jews for the world’s problems and say they secretly control everything, these are just old traditions passed down and taught to them.

They are frankly unoriginal.

So there’s a lot of momentum that is hard to reverse.

Jews have faced persecution, discrimination, and violence against them around the world for a couple thousand years, after all.

And while the bigger question is always, “why do people hate others?” it’s important to also ask why specific groups are constantly targeted.

Jews have constantly been one such group.

As you watch this video right now, there are fathers somewhere in the world teaching their sons to hate Jews. At this very moment.

Antisemitism, unfortunately, persists, and it’s up to us to make it a thing of the past.

If you could just think of the first group that comes to mind

as the most persecuted group in world history

What's the first group that just pops in your head?

Frost: Christians

Mr. Beat: ok

Interesting...alright

Well this video's about Antisemitism so you just totally messed it up

Thank you to Mr. McClellan, Mr. Thierolf, Mr. Sandburg, and Mr. Frost for helping me make this video.

And, this was not an easy video to make

I spent a lot of time researching and writing the script

and this is not something I take lightly

so please let me know if you have anything you'd like to add to the video below

I know I was taking a bit of a risk making a video like this, so

Just try to be civil in the comment section?

How should we solve the Arab-Israeli Conflict?

Let me know in the comments below.

Also a reminder to check out Grant Hurst's new video that he made that is also released today.

about the history of the Jewish people. I've linked it below.

And finally a shout out to my two newest Patreon supporters

Sergio and Pedro

Thank you so much! Next week I return with an episode for the Compared series.