Why does hatred of Jews seem to outlive the civilizations that produce it?

Empires collapse. Borders move. Political systems rise and fall. Yet antisemitism returns in new language and new settings. It appears in universities, in political rhetoric, in the media, and sometimes in the streets. Every generation believes it is more enlightened than the one before it. Every generation believes it has learned from history. Yet the same hostility finds its way back into public life.

That pattern raises a serious question. Why does hatred of Jews seem to survive every era?

If the accusations were consistent, one could examine them rationally. History shows the opposite. Jews were accused of being poor outsiders who weakened society. In other places, they were accused of becoming too successful and controlling the economy. Jews were blamed for isolating themselves from society. They were also blamed for infiltrating it.

In the twentieth century, Jews were accused of controlling capitalism and also of inventing communism. These accusations circulated at the same time.

Contradictions like these reveal something important. The accusations were never the real issue. The need for a target was.

Societies under pressure often seek simple explanations for complex problems. A visible minority becomes an easy symbol for frustration that people cannot easily explain. Jews maintained a distinct identity wherever they lived. They participated in the cultural and economic life of their countries while preserving their traditions, education, and........

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