Rootsie

It is interesting to think about this term "Anti-Semitism" - and more interesting to notice the adaptation of this term in today's times.

I think if one goes back into history, the term "anti-Semitism" most likely stemmed from the European persecution of Muslims and Jews. Today the use of the term is succinctly aligned with anti-Jewish sentiments. It is interesting how this works. Today it is acceptable and is actually foreign policy to be "anti-Semitic" against middle-eastern adherents to Islam. It is not acceptable however to be  "anti-Semitic" towards Jews, many of which are more thoroughly European than "Semitic."

It seems that the white power structure has co-opted the Jewish identity for itself  while maintaining the same old anti-Semitism while fighting "anti-Semitism."

Interesting . . . a pattern perhaps? . . .  

""Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know." - Donald Rumseld

Yes. Until well into the 19th century, 'Semite' referred to both Arab and Jew. Sons of Shem. In the hierarcy of race, sandwiched between blacks and whites. The first European 'Semitic scholars' studied the Hebrew and Arabic languages, pronouncing them clearly inferior, as were the people who spoke them.