Recognising Antisemitism

A guide to the language, themes and imagery of ‘the oldest hatred’

Antisemitism is a millennia-old phenomenon that, over the centuries, has spawned its own unique beliefs, language and mythology. It is an ideology in its own right.

Jewish Immorality

A key antisemitic theme asserts that Jews are greedy and immoral, and even naturally inclined towards paedophilia and orchestrating war. This portrayal of Jews as a nefarious, self-serving, deleterious force corrupting society has been used to justify persecution of the Jews and was a central pillar of Nazi propaganda.

Jews are naturally greedy

This plays to the well-known stereotype of the miserly Jew. It is claimed that the supposed greed of the Jewish people is such that they are willing to harm others to satisfy it.

Jews are morally deficient

This is based on the Nazi ideology that the Jewish character is genetically depraved and therefore a danger to the rest of society.

Jews are inclined towards paedophilia

The long-standing false accusation that the Talmud endorses paedophilia is now being deliberately and inaccurately linked to recent revelations about the sexual abuse of minors, with the latter being portrayed as a predominantly Jewish issue.

Jews orchestrate war and genocide

The accusation that Jews are willing to harm others for their own profit and gain is underpinned by the assertion that they have secretly organised some of the world’s worst wars and genocides.