Antisemitism and Semiticisation Semitic people

1879 statute of antisemitic league, organization first popularized term

the terms anti-semite or antisemitism came circuitous route refer more narrowly hostile or discriminatory towards jews in particular.

anthropologists of 19th century such ernest renan readily aligned linguistic groupings ethnicity , culture, appealing anecdote, science , folklore in efforts define racial character. moritz steinschneider, in periodical of jewish letters hamaskir (3 (berlin 1860), 16), discusses article heymann steinthal criticising renan s article new considerations on general character of semitic peoples, in particular tendency monotheism . renan had acknowledged importance of ancient civilisations of mesopotamia, israel etc. called semitic races inferior aryan monotheism, held arise supposed lustful, violent, unscrupulous , selfish racial instincts. steinthal summed these predispositions semitism , , steinschneider characterised renan s ideas anti-semitic prejudice .

in 1879 german journalist wilhelm marr began politicisation of term speaking of struggle between jews , germans in pamphlet called der weg zum siege des germanenthums über das judenthum ( way victory of germanicism on judaism ). accused jews of being liberals, people without roots had judaized germans beyond salvation. in 1879 marr s adherents founded league anti-semitism , concerned entirely anti-jewish political action.

objections usage of term, such obsolete nature of term semitic racial term , exclusion of discrimination against non-jewish semitic peoples, have been raised since @ least 1930s.