There are many reasons for the dramatic rise in antisemitism today. But antisemitism is not a new phenomenon. Its ebb and flow have been with us for thousands of years—ever since, according to Jewish tradition, Abraham smashed his father’s idols and rejected the pagan world around him. The Jewish people have been paying a price for that distinctiveness ever since.

Here is how antisemitism works.

Antisemites—and people willing to repeat claims without bothering to establish whether they are true—manufacture vile and vicious libels about Israel. They distort facts, omit context, recycle ancient accusations in modern language, and portray the Jewish state as uniquely evil.

Impressionable people—and........

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