Rather, it claims that all Jews- and only Jews, not the Romans-, have a collective responsibility for his death, and even their descendants should be held accountable. The allegation goes further than arguing that a specific group of Jews was responsible for the death of Jesus. Many ancient Christian thinkers wrote that Jewish suffering was divine punishment for the murder of Jesus, which greatly influenced European Christians and heightened their hostility toward Jews. I find the roots of antisemitism in the New Testament depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus.” Lipstadt, said that “antisemitism is often called the longest or the oldest hatred for very good reason. In short, it has been the linchpin for a distinct form of Jew hatred: Christian antisemitism.ĭr. While the notion might seem like a harmless historical speculation, it has resulted in unimaginable Jewish suffering, despite the uniform agreement of historians and theologians that Jews are not responsible for the death of Jesus. The allegation (known as deicide) that the Jewish people killed Jesus is perhaps the oldest and most inflammatory conspiracy myth levied against Jews. Furthermore, the allegations provided a mechanism with which to explain otherwise inexplicable and often depressing situations: blame them on the “all-powerful and evil” Jew. One explanation is that given that they have been entrenched in society for so long, they are extremely difficult to eradicate. There are several theories as to why antisemitic accusations, despite their absurdity, have gained traction. “This formulation rendered Judaism more than just a competing religion. “Jews, argued, repudiated this new faith because of their inherent maliciousness,” Lipstadt writes. This paved the way for the undermining and marginalization of Judaism. Lipstadt, the Church taught that “the Jews” conspired to kill Jesus - even though Jewish individuals did not actually kill him.

Deborah Lipstadt, the Biden administration’s nominee for the State Department’s special envoy to combat and monitor antisemitism, has explained that these conspiracy myths can be traced back to the origins of Christianity, in particular to the death of Jesus. It originates from both ends of the political spectrum and has manifested itself in antisemitic attacks against Jews, including at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018. Unfortunately, the use of antisemitic tropes has mutated, especially with the advent of social media, which has made it increasingly easier for users to spread disinformation, blame Jews for global problems, and spread hateful rhetoric. The perpetrator of conspiracy myths, on the other hand, is portrayed as a lone hero attempting to unmask the secret powers of evil. This trope is often used to falsely malign the Jewish people and paint them as a homogeneous group. This can lead to physical attacks, accusations of operating as a “fifth column,” and even murder. The 9th example in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism is “using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libels) to characterize Israel or Israelis.”Īntisemites use blood libels or the allegation that Jews killed Jesus to scapegoat and demonize Jews, and propagate antisemitic conspiracy myths.

Jewish strophes defined