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Can someone explain to me why there is so much Antisemitism in the world?
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SHORT ANSWER:
The Jews killed Jesus and the hatred this inspired has been passed on like a tradition for hundreds of years.
LONG ANSWER:
I think it has a lot to do with:
1. The origins of Christianity
2. The Jewish culture
1. Jesus, who was a Jew, was killed by Jews. So the founders of Christianity had a lot of hatred towards those who killed Jesus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Se...hristian_world
"Antisemitism was widespread in Europe during the Middle Ages. In those times, a main cause of prejudice against Jews in Europe was the religious one. Although not part of Roman Catholic dogma, many Christians, including members of the clergy, held the Jewish people collectively responsible for the death of Jesus, a practice originated by Melito of Sardis. Among socio-economic factors were restrictions by the authorities. Local rulers and church officials closed the doors for many professions to the Jews, pushing them into occupations considered socially inferior such as accounting, rent-collecting and moneylending, which was tolerated then as a "necessary evil"."
2. Because of anti-semitism, the Jews banded together for self-protection and kept among themselves. This isolation from gentiles, created a social barrier between Jews and gentiles. Also Jews were relegated to trades such as rent collecting and money lending....and in these trades it is easy to make enemies to collect unpaid debts. They probably, with much justification, practice discrimination against gentiles. But perhaps it was less discrimination and more favortism towards fellow Jews....
The German philospher Nietzsche argued that anti-semitism actually made the Jews stronger 'what does not kill me makes me stronger'. And history proves Nietzsche right. An American rabbi lamented that the Jewish culture in the USA was dying because they were being killed by kindness. What he meant was since there is very little anti-semitism in the USA, more Jews were intermarrying with gentiles and the Jewish culture was getting diluted.
As for muslim anti semitism, part of this comes from Christian anti-semitism, part from clashes of culture in the middle east, and partly from the history of modern Israel....
As an atheist I think the whole Jesus walking on water and rising from the dead is a myth similar to the Greek Gods of Mount Olympus. So the killing of the Jewish Rabbi named Jesus, through their Roman masters, is way overblown and therefore anti-semitism is pretty silly. But I agree with Friedrich Nietzsche that anti-semitism has done more to preserve the Jewish culture than any other factor.
Bottom Line: Anti-Semitism is an ancient TRADITION passed on by the founders of Christianity!