People do not “hate Jewish” for any valid or justified reason; the hostility you are asking about is called antisemitism, and it is a form of prejudice and racism. Antisemitism, like other hatreds, says much more about the people who hate than about Jews themselves.
What antisemitism is
Antisemitism is hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Jews as a group, whether they are seen as a religion, an ethnicity, or a “race.” It treats all Jews as one negative stereotype, blaming them for things they did not cause and seeing them as dangerous or “less than,” which is morally and factually wrong.
Historical roots
Negative ideas about Jews go back more than 2,000 years and have appeared in many societies, which is why antisemitism is sometimes called “the longest hatred.” Over time, different societies have blamed Jews for religious reasons, political conflicts, or social and economic problems, turning them into convenient scapegoats during crises.
Common false beliefs
Antisemitism is fueled by recurring myths, such as conspiracy theories that Jews secretly control governments, finance, or media, or that they are collectively responsible for the death of Jesus or other religious offenses. These stories are not supported by evidence but get passed down and reused whenever people look for someone to blame.
Why it persists today
This hatred continues because prejudices are often learned early, repeated by families, communities, and online spaces, and rarely questioned. Political and social leaders sometimes deliberately encourage antisemitic ideas to unite supporters against a common “enemy” instead of taking responsibility for real problems.
How to respond to it
Challenging antisemitism means learning accurate history, listening to Jewish voices, and pushing back against stereotypes and slurs when they appear. It also means recognizing that Jews are a diverse group of ordinary people, not symbols or conspiracies, and that hatred toward them is as unacceptable as racism, Islamophobia, or any other bigotry.
