Why Do So Many People Hate the Jews?

“When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.’ And all the people answered and said, ‘His blood be on us and on our children’”. Matthew 27: 24, 25

At the trial of Jesus, Pilate asked who he should release, Jesus or Barabbas. When the crowd said Barabbas, Pilate asked what he should do with Jesus. The crowd cried out “crucify Him.” Pilate absolved himself and declared his innocence. The crowd further shouted, “His blood be on us and on our children.”

Is that the reason there is a universal hatred of Jews?

If so, it is based on a mistaken understanding of this text. Those involved in the incident accepted responsibility for this decision. In doing so they called down God’s judgment upon themselves and their offsprings. “Their children” are related to their own children, not all further generations. Such a judgment fell on them a few years later with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

However, what is considered the world’s oldest hatred is often based on the belief that Jews were collectively guilty of killing Jesus — a view that remained Catholic doctrine until 1965. Many people still cling to the concept. It is wrong.

Jews comprise less than 0.2% of the world’s population? Why is such a minority hated by so many? Antisemitism is overwhelmingly perpetrated by non-Jews. It may occasionally be perpetrated by Jews on Jews in a phenomenon known as auto-antisemitism.

In consideration of why so many people hate the Jews it is expedient to divide the people of the world into groups.

1.     A. There are people who don’t know of the Jews.

        B. There are people who know of them, but they don’t know about them. They do not know their biblical record or their  extra-biblical history.

2.      There are people who hate them because most people hate them. It is a herd mentality. Without reason they just consider it the popular thing to do. They go along to get along.

3.      There are people who hate the Jews for a reason flawed though it may be. It is the logic of these people that deserves to be addressed.

There is not “a” reason for hatred of the Jews, but a compounding of numerous reasons in society today.

At the present time many old prejudices that span all throughout history have bubbled to the surface. Some are political, some religious, some cultural, some economic, some racial, and some behavioral.

Some consider Jews greedy and money-grubbing. Others consider Jews to be committed to world domination.

Some hold hostility toward Jews because of what they consider Jewish bigotry. It is felt some Jews have a “chosen people” complex causing them to consider themselves superior to others.

Now consider this important factor. God promised Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you” (Genesis 12:3).

I personally have sought to support Jews and Israel and will continue to do so. I am not unmindful of many of their collective drawbacks, offenses, and transgressions. But neither am I oblivious of their attributes. God’s promise includes a blessing for those who do bless Israel, the Jews. God said, “I will curse him who curses you”. That is an easy one to avoid.