Jewish people have long been attacked, discriminated upon, and even hated for their religion. They have been persecuted, blamed for economic problems, and mocked. Discriminatoin against or prejudice/hostility towards Jews is called Antisemitism. Historians have defined 6 excuses for this antisemitism:
1. Economic - They possess too much wealth and power
2. Chosen People - They arrogantly claim that they are the chosen people
3. Scapegoat - They are a convenient group to single out and blame for our troubles
4. Deicide - They killed Jesus
5. Outsiders - They are different from us
6. Racial Theory - They are an inferior race
But as the Second World War began, views against Jews worsened. This already present Christian antisemitism swiftly developed into an extreme antisemitism that convinced people of the need to exterminate the Jews on account of their 'obvious' inferiority. In other words, people no longer only hated the Jews for their wealth, power and differences, but for the status of their race - much BELOW the rest of mankind. Assessment of the means and foundation of the Holocaust enables us to see just how wicked the events that took place leading up to and during the Holocaust really were, and the extent of hatred and prejudice against the Jews.
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