A Short History of the Jewish People and Anti-Semitism

Abstract

This chapter describes the origins and evolution of anti-Semitism, which can be described as hostility toward Jews and Judaism. This history is essential to understanding anti-Semitism and its possible reduction. It begins with the overview of the origins of the Jewish people. It then looks at the political, religious, sociological, and racial justifications offered for anti-Semitism and its destructive consequences. It describes the way those justifications reflected the various cultures and countries in which Jews lived. It then looks closely at the recent resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe, America, and the Middle East. It concludes that the new understanding of human nature emerging from the relatively new fields of psychology and psychiatry offers the promise of additional cutting-edge ways to reduce anti-Semitism.