Why is there such a word as Antisemitism?

Question

Definition: Anti-Semitism (alternatively spelled antisemitism) is hostility towards or prejudice against Jews (not, in common usage, Semites in general).

Why is there such a word? why don't we have antiNative Americans, antieuropeans, antianglos, antiidians, antichristians, antiatheists, antiitalians or any other anti- whatever. There is opposition to all of these and many more, why don't we have antipalestinian?

Is this a matter of selfagrandation in order to label anybody that is against this particular group of people?

The answerers bring up a good point, 'The Holocaust'

Why does the holocaust refer to the extermination of Jews, that was not the only genocide humanity has seen in my lifetime I can recall 5 million Cambodians killed by the Kmer Rouge, the .5 million in Sarejevo, the millions in Rwanda, Right now in Sudan... etc. why do we pay so much attention to this group of people?

Answer 1

it helps cement the victim image, butressing their consolidation of power- the world is currently changing though, no one stays in power forever.

also, arabs are semites too so anyone who uses this term is a turd.

Answer 2

Yes, unfortunately. And yes the rest exist in another form: racism, elitism, etc.

"Definitions of antisemitism on the Web:

This term originated at the end of the 1870s. It was misleading in that hostility was solely directed at Jews and not against all semitic peoples. Antisemitism ie emnity towards Jews, is not restricted to Christian cultures, however, it is within these cultures that it is most evident. Whereas in the West the spread of antisemitism remained relatively restricted, in Germany and in eastern Europe it was widely disseminated. ...
www.rrz.uni-hamburg.de/rz3a035/ns_term.html

This term refers to the hatred of Jews, which goes back to before Christian times.
www.adl.org/education/dimensions_18_2/glossary.asp

Prejudice, discrimination or persecution against Jews.
www.connections-exhibition.org/index.php

Hostility toward Jews as a religious, ethnic, or economic group.
library.thinkquest.org/13915/gather/glossary.htm

anti-Semitism: the intense dislike for and prejudice against Jewish people
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Anti-Semitism (alternatively spelled antisemitism) is hostility towards or prejudice against Jews (not, in common usage, Semites in general — see the Scope section below). This happens on an individual level and goes on to the institutionalized prejudice and persecution once prevalent in European societies, of which the highly explicit ideology of Adolf Hitler's National Socialism was the most extreme form.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisemitism"

Answer 3

because antisemites are *nazi people* who believe that the semitic race does not deserve to exist. at all. it is a direct reference to a specific act, the holocaust, in which the main representatives of the semitic race were jewish, not muslim. six million of 'em.

since there's never been an organized group against italian people or english people, there is no name for that. and your "anti-atheists" are usually referred to as "religious zealots". it's all about the terminology.

if you want other examples, you have homophobes, who hate homosexuals particularly, and other general bigots and racists.

Answer 4

Actually we do have a lot of words for different groups; e.g. anti-Americanism. However, they are generally produced by the suffix -(o)phobia; Anglophobia, Francophobia, Islamophobia, Christianophobia, or as noun clauses; Euro-skepticism, Anti-Arab sentiment, etc. Also, it could possibly be because the Jewish have suffered persecution for hundreds of years. And I doubt it was the Jewish who created this word.

Answer 5

Because the Jewish are anti-any-human who isn't Jewish.
Jewish helps Jewish the others are shave monkeys for the Jewish.
And anti-Semites aren't Nazis
I hear Bod Marley all my life.
I Just want peace and that is impossible with the Jewish.
Also the Jewish are the real terrorist.

Answer 6

its called reverse psychology.

the most racist race in history developped this,instead of just snobbing others you accuse them of snobbing you !

no really,i cant understand whats so special about jews that hating them should be a crime. i dont hate them , but i dont se why others cant.

its due in large part to publicity surrounding the holocaust.
they use the victim role to squeeze more ansd more money and influence out of society.

really nothing has been more beneficial to the international jews than the holocaust, thats why they can afford their (tantrums)

holocaust= hurting a lot of jews= benefit to a lot of other jews
?premeditated?

Answer 7

Maybe you should first try to get an answer to the question "Why is there no such word as 'selfagrandation'?"

Answer 8

HEheheh!

Answer 9

Yes, man where have you been?