Anti- Semitism is political, social, and economic agitation and activities directed against Jews. The term is now used to denote speech and behavior that is derogatory to people of Jewish origin, whether or not they are religious. The word Semitic originally was applied to all descendants of Shem, the eldest son of the biblical patriarch Noah. In later usage, it refers to a group of peoples of southwestern Asia, including both Jews and Arabs. The …showed first 75 words of 265 total…

…showed last 75 words of 265 total…that had existed throughout history. Many explanations of the phenomenon of anti-Semitism have been advanced. One theory, widely accepted by social scientists, suggests that anti-Semitism is nurtured in periods of social instability and crisis, such as those existing in Germany in the 1880s and in the era preceding World War II from 1939 to 1945. Passions and frustrations engendered during such periods are theoretically deflected onto scapegoats, for example, an available, isolated minority, such as the Jews.