When the Western world was Christian, Jews were hated for not being Christian, for allegedly “killing Jesus,” and for being unholy.
When religion weakened and Western society became more secular, Jews were hated for being “primitive religious people” who remained secluded in their own communities.
When Jews received emancipation and integrated more into society, they were accused of being too involved—trying to “control the world.”
When people turned against capitalism, Jews were blamed for being “greedy capitalists.”
Then, when communism became the new threat, Jews were hated for being communists.
When racial theories and colonialism shaped the Western worldview, Jews were demonized as a non-white minority threatening the dominant order.
Now, as racial discourse shifts again and “Western colonialism” is used as a catch-all accusation, Jews—who were always seen as a Middle Eastern, non-white people—are suddenly labeled as white imperialists who invaded the Middle East.
Antisemitism has existed for over 2,000 years, adapting to every era’s dominant ideology. It is one of the oldest and most widespread forms of hatred—and also the most adaptable.
Whenever societies faced problems, they blamed the Jews. Whenever an ideology fell out of favor, they accused the Jews of embodying it. And when the winds shifted, so did the accusations.
Today, the excuse is Israel. But as history has taught us, that’s all it is—an excuse. When Israel is no longer a convenient scapegoat, another justification will take its place. Because the hatred itself is the constant, not the rationale behind it.
www.hks.harvard.edu
