Is Antisemitism Distinct From Other Prejudices?

"Since the October 7, 2023, attack on Jewish residents of Israel, there has been both a rise in concern about antisemitism, its sometimes violent outcomes, and an increase in antisemitic sentiment being expressed publicly. Those who hold strong anti-Jewish views have been emboldened to share those views in public spaces, especially on college campuses, on social media, and in podcast interviews."

"An atmosphere of antisemitism seems to give way to various conspiracy theories about Jews-that they are engineering cultural and political shifts, or are controlling the media and the global economy. This serves to breed much suspicion about Jews as a people group, often without presenting evidence of these alleged malign machinations."

"Prejudice tends to evolve in the same way. It is a learned behavior starting in childhood, when children cognitively place people, places, and things in categories based on what they are taught by the adults around them. The individual can then develop an irrational, hostile attitude against a particular individual or group based on the stereotyped characteristics they have used to categorize people."

Antisemitism has intensified since October 7, 2023, with anti-Jewish sentiment increasingly expressed publicly on college campuses, social media, and podcasts. Those holding strong anti-Jewish views feel emboldened to share them openly, while some academic leaders who restrict speech on other issues permit antisemitic expression despite documented harm. Antisemitism spans the political spectrum, appearing most prominently on extremes but also in moderate circles. It fuels conspiracy theories portraying Jews as orchestrating cultural and political changes or controlling media and global economy, breeding suspicion without evidence. Prejudice develops as learned behavior beginning in childhood, when adults teach categorization of people based on stereotypes, leading to irrational hostility toward groups.

Read at Psychology Today