Question

What is anti-semitism?

Answer 1

A confusing term as on its face it is anti "Semitic" people which include both Jews and Arabs. It refers to a linguistic group in the Middle East.

Explanation:

It has become a word to refer to racial prejudice against Jews, overt or covert, systematic or spontaneous.

Yasser Arafat former leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation once famously said he couldn't be antisemitic; he was a Semite. He was being disingenuous.

Antisemitism has had a very long existence probably since the destruction of the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans who then banned Jews from the city. Jews became a widely dispersed people that held on to their religion and culture strongly. As a visible minority they could be targeted.