Why Is Hatred of Jews Called Antisemitism?

Menashe asks: "It is known that the term ‘antisemitism’ was defined at the end of the 19th century to describe hatred of Jews, based on the view that we are an inferior race. But the word itself literally means ‘against the descendants of Shem’ (Shem was the brother of Ham and Japheth). If the Germans are from the seed of Amalek, Amalek was a descendant of Esav, who in turn was a descendant of Shem. Similarly, the Arabs descended from Abraham, who was also a descendant of Shem. If that’s the case, why do they call their hatred of us ‘antisemitism’, when they themselves are Semites?”

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Shalom Menashe, and thank you for your thoughtful question.

Your question touches on a profound idea that reveals the unique way in which God directs Jewish history. To understand the term properly, we first need to recall Judaism’s perspective.

Why was Abraham chosen?

God’s choice of Abraham was not about race or lineage, but about Abraham’s free choice to recognize and serve Him.

As the Midrash teaches (Bereishit Rabbah 39:1), Abraham looked at the world like a palace burning and asked, “Is it possible that this palace has no ruler?” God then “peeked out” and told him: “I am the Master of the palace.” Abraham discovered God not through bloodline, but through recognition of the Divine.

This is why Abraham is called Avraham Ha-Ivri — “the Hebrew,” meaning “from the other side” (Bereishit Rabbah 42). He stood apart from the world: “The whole world on one side, and Abraham on the other.” This quality continued through his descendants, the people of Israel: “Behold, it is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations” (Numbers 23:9).

Israel’s identity is spiritual, not racial

Though Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived before the Torah was given, we are called “Bnei Yisrael” (Children of Israel, i.e., Jacob), because we follow in the spiritual path they blazed. The Torah is essentially the guide for walking in their footsteps. As the Sages taught: “Each Jew must say: When will my deeds reach the level of my forefathers?” (Tanna Devei Eliyahu, ch. 25).

This principle is illustrated by Shmaya and Avtalyon, two towering sages of the Mishnah who were descendants of converts. When insulted about their lineage by the High Priest, they answered: “Let the descendants of the nations who act like Aaron enter in peace, and let not the descendant of Aaron who does not act like Aaron enter in peace” (Yoma 71b). The message is that what matters is one’s deeds, not one’s bloodline.

In fact, some of Judaism’s greatest figures including King David (descended from Ruth the Moabite), Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Meir, came from converts. The Messiah himself is prophesied to descend from David, whose ancestry includes Ruth. This demonstrates that Judaism is not racial but covenantal. Anyone who sincerely chooses God and accepts His Torah becomes a full child of Abraham.

Why only Israel is called “Bnei Shem” (Semites)

Shem, son of Noach, founded the yeshiva of “Shem and Ever,” where the patriarchs studied. The Jews are considered the true heirs of Shem’s path of Divine service. The verse even calls him “the father of all the children of Ever” (Bereishit 10:21) — i.e., those who carried forward his spiritual legacy.

The nations of Esav and Yishmael biologically come from Shem, but they abandoned his spiritual path. By contrast, the Jew has remained loyal for over 3,000 years. That is why the Jewish people alone are known as “Semites” in the cultural and historical sense — not by bloodline but by faithfulness to Shem’s and Abraham’s mission.

Ironically, the nations themselves chose the term, “antisemitism,” thus unintentionally testifying that the Jews alone embody the covenant of Shem. Their very word admits that Israel, and not they, are the true heirs of the patriarchs.

Hatred as Divine tool

The hatred of the nations toward Israel is not natural, but God allows it as a means to separate us from assimilation and remind us of our mission. As long as Israel clings to Torah however, no empire can destroy us. When Israel abandons God’s covenant to mimic the nations, we are delivered into their hands.

Thus, the label “antisemitism” reflects a Divine irony: even our enemies declare with their own lips that the Jewish people are the true Semites, the faithful heirs of Shem and Abraham. Their hatred, though misguided, serves as a reminder of our unique destiny — to return to our heritage, and through that, to bring the final redemption, as promised in the Torah.