When and how did hatred of the Jews begin? When will it ever end?
There is no other culture in history like the Jewish people.
Its unique theological thread is love. Its First Commandment is to LOVE.
No other nation has been promised to be God’sown people, nor entered into a covenant relationship with Him in the way Israel did.
From the calling of Abraham, God pledged that “all nations of the earth shall be blessed” through his offspring (Genesis 12:3; 22:18), a promise later reaffirmed to Isaac and Jacob.
Israel alone was chosen as the people through whom God would reveal Himself, give His law, and send the promised Savior of the world.
The biblical record is a sustained, interconnected narrative preserved by the same ethnic and religious community that lived it.
It weaves together historical events, legal codes, genealogies, poetry, prophecy, and worship, giving a multi-dimensional portrait of a people’s life with God.
The Hebrew Scriptures record Israel’s failures, defeats, and sins, interpreting them through covenant faithfulness or unfaithfulness to the Lord.
Every event is told not merely as political history but as part of God’s unfolding plan of redemption.
While other cultures, such as China or Mesopotamia, kept lists of rulers, these were not interwoven with theological meaning or the promise of a coming Redeemer.
Even in exile and dispersion, Israel’s Scriptures survived intact, a feat unmatched by other ancient peoples whose cultural memory was erased when their capitals fell.
Christianity and Judaism both originate from God’s covenant with Abraham and share the Hebrew Bible as sacred scripture.
Both religions believe in the same God, a belief that dates back to the early days of Israel.
Christianity recognizes Jesus as the Messiah foretold in the Hebrew Bible, whereas Judaism does not acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah.
The Catholic Church affirmed that the Jews are part of a living covenant and that antisemitism — including false charges of deicide — is heresy.
Christians support Israel and oppose antisemitism.
Christianity is the world’s largest religion with about 2.5 billion followers.
There are about 15.7 million Jews worldwide, with most living in Israel and the United States, and sizable communities in France, Canada, and the UK.
The Bible traces the origins of the Arab people to Abraham.
The Arab world’s population is estimated to be around 473 million, about 5.9% of the global population.
The population of Arabs is concentrated in the Middle East and North Africa, with significant populations in countries like Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, Iraq, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia.
Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament, beginning in chapter 16, tells the story of the birth of the Arabs.
Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian maidservant, became pregnant with Ishmael after Sarah, unable to conceive, suggested that Abraham have a child with her.
Conflicts developed between Sarah and Hagar following Hagar’s pregnancy. Subsequently, Sarah treated Hagar harshly, prompting Hagar to flee into the wilderness.
During this period of fleeing and alienation, Hagar meets an angel of the Lord.
The angel meets Hagar at a spring, asks her about her destination, and, upon hearing her story, tells her to go back to Sarah and accept her authority.
The angel tells Hagar she will have many descendants and a son named Ishmael, which means “God hears.”
The name Ishmael itself is a reminder that God hears the cries of the oppressed.
Hagar returns to Sarah and gives birth to Ishmael.
However, tensions between Sarah and Hagar persist, and Sarah asks Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away.
Abraham reluctantly agrees, and Hagar and Ishmael are sent into the wilderness once again.
Hagar and Ishmael find themselves in a desperate situation.
They run out of water, and Hagar, fearing for her son’s life, places him under a bush and distances herself, unable to bear witnessing his suffering. She cries out to God, and once again, God hears her.
An angel appears to Hagar and assures her that God has heard Ishmael’s cries.
The angel directs Hagar to a well of water, and both she and Ishmael are saved. This encounter further emphasizes God’scare for Hagar and her son, even in their most desperate moments.
Ishmael is traditionally regarded as the patriarch and ancestor of many Arab tribes.
God promised Abraham that Ishmael would be blessed, fruitful, and become a great nation with twelve tribal leaders or princes. These sons are named in Genesis 25:13-16.
The Bible also indicates that other descendants of Abraham contributed to the lineage of the Arab peoples.
The descendants of Ishmael settled in the region spanning from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt, in the direction of Assyria.
The traditional view that Ishmael’s descendants played a significant role in the origins of the Arab peoples persists within both Islamic and Jewish institutions.
Antisemitism, the oldest hatred, persisting across millennia, is defined as prejudice, discrimination, hostility, and hatred toward Jewish individuals.
Some early animosity towards Jews in ancient Greece and Rome was rooted in their desire to maintain their distinct cultural identity amidst pressure to adopt the customs of their conquerors.
Misunderstandings and misrepresentations of Jewish laws and customs contributed to negative portrayals.
Ancient Egyptian texts distorted the Exodus narrative, depicting Jews negatively.
Hostility towards Jews was not uniform in the ancient world, with some societies demonstrating tolerance while others, under Antiochus Epiphanes, actively persecuted them.
The rise of Christianity led to a new dimension of anti-Jewish sentiment, with early Christian writings often defining themselves in opposition to Jews who didn’t accept Jesus’ divinity.
Accusations of Jews being responsible for the death of Jesus fueled Christian antisemitism and spurred violence and discrimination.
Throughout medieval Europe, Jews were often denied citizenship rights, excluded from various professions, confined to ghettos, and forced to wear distinguishing badges.
Economic resentment stemming from the role of some Jews in moneylending (often, Christians were forbidden from doing so) also contributed to animosity and stereotypes of Jews as greedy.
Periods of intense violence against Jewish communities, known as pogroms, and expulsions from various regions were also common during the Middle Ages.
In the modern era, particularly the 19th and 20th centuries, antisemitism took on new forms, including nationalist and racial antisemitism.
Ethno-nationalism, defining nations by shared ethnicity, often excluded Jews as “outsiders” or an alien race.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the emergence of theories of racial superiority and Social Darwinism, which were used to justify racial antisemitism and the categorization of Jews as an inferior race.
Antisemitic conspiracy theories fueled fears of Jewish control over finances, media, and world events.
This culminates in the Holocaust (1933–1945), where the Nazi regime, driven by racial antisemitism, systematically persecuted and murdered six million Jews.
Antisemitic sentiment declined after World War II, but it has continued to exist. It has markedly resurged today.
Contemporary antisemitism often involves linking hatred of Jews to criticism of Israel and Zionism, sometimes conflating the two.
Online hate and the spread of antisemitic conspiracy theories through social media and established universities contribute significantly to the problem.
The Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has led to a sharp global increase in anti-Semitism, impacting Jewish communities worldwide to varying degrees.
Biased media powerfully influence their intellectually sluggish subjects by what they elect not to report, creating news instead of honestly reporting it.
Through my thinning hair, I scratch my head, trying to remember the Jews I have known. Truthfully, I have never knowingly categorized people into Jews and non-Jews.
As a child, I was taught to respect Jews. Mrs. Rosen was my seventh-grade teacher. I remember her as firm with high expectations of her students. She was also sensitive and caring.
Eight decades ago, Mrs. Rosen sent me to the principal’s office. There I was told to take a seat.
A few minutes later, I was sent to the auditorium where Mrs. Rosen was leading the sixth and seventh grade classes in a round of applause for the newly appointed Captain of the Safety Patrol. Amazed, I was the appointee, feeling far inferior to my classmates.
I played sports with Jewish teammates who had more talent than I could achieve. One of my Jewish medical school classmates is an elected class officer.
Long ago, I was privileged to work as a Bacteriologist at the Norfolk Health Department with Dr. Harry Snyder, a gifted scientist and warm, engaging person. He invited me to his Synagogue and tried to help me learn the challenging Jewish language.
Years ago, my wife and I joined a Christian group on a visit to the Holy Land. It was a peak spiritual experience. Thesmall group was led by Reverand Paul Eure, my cousin’s husband.
We stayed in a fine Palestinian-owned hotel on the Temple Mount.
Our tour was led by an articulate, intelligent Palestinian who drove us in his Mercedes van. He knew all the places of interest and the best time to avoid the crowds.
We enjoyed falafel and hummus. Painted in my mind is the hue and soothing golden-bronze color of the ancient city of Jerusalem viewed at night from the Temple Mount.
I also enjoyed chatting with the Israeli Soldiers and showing them my military ID Card.
During the return flight home, I learned that the tour group was comprised of ministers and their wives. Without exception, they were pro-Palestinian.
Rev. Eure and my cousin, Tootsie, are now deceased. My association with the ministers and their wives was limited to the tour.
I’ve often wondered if they would remain pro-Palestinian after the Hamas massacre of 1200 children, adults, and military personnel, and the kidnapping of 250 of ill-treated Israelis.
Antisemitism poses a major threat to Jewish people and communities worldwide today. It is a great threat to civilization. The hatred is a metastatic cancer spreading at a destructive pace. Time is running out!
Only one matter is worthy of hatred; it is hatred itself.
Only one factor can free us of hatred forever; it is LOVE!
When will hatred ever end? TruthfulLove is the only antidote for hate.
(“Got Questions” was a helpful resource.)
Robert S. Brown, MD, PHD a retired Psychiatrist, Col (Ret) U.S. Army Medical Corps devoted the last decade of his career to treating soldiers at Fort Lee redeploying from combat. He was a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Education at UVA. His renowned Mental Health course taught the value of exercise for a sound mind.
