Why do I keep hearing people describe others as "Jews" especially in a dismissive tone?

What exactly does it mean to be a "Jew"? Isn't that a bit like calling someone an African or a European?

And is everyone from Israel really a "Jew" or are they Israeli?

I'm open to input here but I get a sneaking suspicion that calling people "Jews" is a bit too convenient for everyone besides "Jews".

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basilfawlty89 · 36-40, M

I think I get what you're saying here.

So the history of calling someone a "Jew" in a derogatory fashion stems from Religious Antisemitism, where Jewish people were stereotyped as "hucksters, usurers, corrupt, and guilty of deicide".

What they don't mention is that occupations like money lending and tax collecting were the only jobs Europeans allowed Jewish people due to bigotry.

This eventually met "Scientific" Racism where Jewish people as a people were regarded as greedy, dishonest and treacherous.

Ferise1 · 46-50, M

@basilfawlty89 but they are those things, they always choose high paying jobs because they’re snobs and they have a false sense of superiority. Their doctors lawyers bankers in finance politics, the entertainment industry. Why are they controlling our entertainment industry?
To control our minds

SinlessOnslaught · M

@Ferise1 You also crack jokes in the middle of people talking about dying children. I'm not surprised you're also antisemitic.

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samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

@basilfawlty89 interestingly, Jews were not allowed to join the military, that is a long story, study the story of Dreyfus in France, Levy in the US.

On the middle aged the finest physicians were Muslims and Jews.

basilfawlty89 · 36-40, M

@samueltyler2 I know about the Dreyfus Affair, we had to study it in high-school in reference to influences on Europe in reference to the Holocaust.

I don't know too much of the history of Antisemitism in the US, outside of the KKK.

samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

@basilfawlty89 it is more deep seated than the KKK.