Why Jews?

on the causes of anti-Semitism

Ask almost anyone - Jew or non-Jew, scholar or layperson - why the Jews have been hated so deeply and for so long, and you are likely to be told that people need scapegoats, or that Jews are. affluent, or that antisemitism is yet another sad example of racism or religious bigotry, or that antisemites are simply sick. In fact, you are likely to be given every reason for antisemitism except, amazingly, that it is a response to anything distinctly Jewish.

We have devoted a good part of seven years to writing this book in order to counteract this dejudaization of Jew-hatred, this universaliza-tion of a unique phenomenon. Until recently and throughout their history Jews have believed that they have been hated because Judaism made them different and challenging, not because they were rich, or convenient scapegoats, or but another bullied minority, or for any other reason unrelated to their being Jews.

The purpose of this book is to substantiate this age-old Jewish understanding of antisemitism and to refute modem attempts to deny the distinctly Jewish reasons for Jew-hatred and its contemporary manifestation, anti-Zionism. The historical record clearly indicates, we believe, that Jew-hatred is unique. The very word Jew continues to arouse passions as does no other religious or national name. Why this hatred? Why this passion? That is the subject of our inquiry.

Dennis Prager and Joseph Telushkin