Antisemitism in Europe

Antisemitism (also spelled anti-Semitism) – prejudice, hatred of, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage – has experienced a long history of expression since the days of ancient civilizations, with most of it having originated in the Christian and pre-Christian civilizations of Europe.

While it has been cited as having been expressed in the intellectual and political centers of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, the phenomenon received greater institutionalization within European Christianity following the dissolution of the ancient Jewish center of power in Jerusalem, resulting at times in the forced segregation of Jewish populations and restrictions on their participation in the public life of European society.

In the 20th century, antisemitism during the reign of fascist regimes such as Nazi Germany resulted in the death and dislocation of the majority of Europe's Jewish population.

In the post-Cold War era, a new antisemitism in Europe has coalesced. The new antisemitism emanates from the far-right, the political left, and a growing Muslim population within European nations. A statistical analysis shows that 150 million people across Europe have "serious anti-Semitic" or "demonic view of Israel".

Antisemitism in Europe in the Middle Ages was largely influenced by the Christian belief that the Jewish people were collectively responsible for the death of Jesus, through the so-called blood curse of Pontius Pilate in the Gospels.

Persecutions against Jews were widespread during the Crusades, beginning in 1095, when a number of communities, especially on the Rhine and the Danube, were massacred.

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