What Is All This Nonsense I Hear from Time to Time about Jewish Self-Hatred? Who Makes This Stuff Up?

Much has been written about antisemitism as the eternal hatred against Jews; far less attention has been devoted to the challenging self-examination of when the antisemites are Jews themselves and why this paradox occurs. Jewish self-hatred is the unique phenomenon of Jews who hate their coreligionists, brethren, people of their own faith, to the point of slandering, bashing, and actively campaigning against their own people. Beyond the sociological, cultural, and political explanations, how is it possible to explain this phenomenon?

It is relatively easy for non-Jewish antisemites to justify their animosity toward Jews. They will always find a reason for doing so. We will remain pariahs of the world in their eyes, whether we support socialism or capitalism, whether we are orthodox or secular, or whether we support one political party or the other. Jewish antisemites have a more complicated impetus. They feel obligated to constantly justify, first to themselves and then to the world, why they hate their own people.

From time immemorial, there have been internal rifts among the people of Israel. But the term “Jewish self-hatred” dates back to 1921 in the aftermath of World War I when Anton Kuh, a Viennese-Jewish journalist, coined the term in his book Juden und Deutsche (Jews and Germans). Theodor Lessing, a German-Jewish philosopher, popularized the term in 1930 with his work Der jüdische Selb‐sthaß (Jewish Self-Hatred). There he suggests the internal, external, and psychological causes of the Jewish inclination toward self-loathing and the manipulative use of Zionist ideas to abet antisemitism.

Indeed, not only can Jews be antisemites, they can be the biggest and cruelest enemies of the Jews. There are Jews who are passionately anti-Zionists. There are dozens of Muslim countries, but one is hard-pressed to find Muslims who resist the idea of a Muslim state. Even if that were the case, they would not have the zeal to eliminate Muslim countries like one finds among Jews regarding the existence of the Jewish state. It seems that Jews who are active in organizations like the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) and others make it their life’s goal to see the elimination of Israel. They delegitimize, deprecate, and demonize anyone whose view differs from theirs.

I have spoken to prominent Israeli academics who are anti-Zionist activists; I saw how adamant they are in their objection to the State of Israel. In my view, they are trying to protect themselves by showing hatred for their own people. However, it will not help them escape the world’s wrath. Jews have been singled out, persecuted, and executed long before the Jewish state was created. Even if a Jewish state ceased to exist, Jews would still be singled out for condemnation since the basis of Jew-hatred has nothing to do with political changes or sociological circumstances at any given time.

On the contrary, when we Jews try to please all the peoples and nations by demonizing the Jewish people and Israel, we are shooting ourselves in the foot instead of addressing the root cause of the hatred toward us — our own division.

We will save time, energy, and heartache if we realize that the world will never judge us as it judges other people. Jews are not held to the same standard as other nations. The world raises the bar high when it passes judgment on the Jewish people because, unconsciously and historically, it expects us to set the standard of unity.

Indeed, we Jews were granted peoplehood only when we pledged to unite “as one man with one heart.” Once we committed to doing so, we became a nation, and with it, we were given the task of being “a light unto nations” (Isaiah 42:6). That is, instead of fighting one another for power, we accepted the obligation to demonstrate how to use our differences to create a higher state called Shlemut (wholeness, from which comes the word Shalom [peace]). So far, we haven’t succeeded in that. We have fallen into bigotry and division, and we offer no way out of the hatred and extremism that are intensifying worldwide.

Two Jews, Three Opinions

It is hard, if not impossible, to find consensus among Jews about anything, except when we are asked about our argumentative nature, then we happily agree to disagree, as the common expression, “Two Jews, Three Opinions,” reflects. The more Jews there are, the more opinions multiply. But it is enough to have one Jew to get a plethora of viewpoints, as the joke about a shipwrecked Jew who has been stranded alone on a deserted island for years goes: To pass the time, he first builds a house, then two synagogues. Finally, one day he is rescued, but before he leaves the island, he shows his rescuers all the buildings he had built. Puzzled, the rescuers ask why if he is the only one on the island, he built two synagogues. “That synagogue,” the man sneers, pointing at one of the synagogues, “that one I wouldn’t be caught dead in!”

Being inquiring and opinionated are particular characteristics of the Jewish people and the reason why Jews are pioneers in so many fields. A robust interchange of ideas from a multitude of perspectives can yield a new common middle ground, a new approach. It should be the result of the balance between pluses and minuses, pros and cons, in a field where differences may remain, but a voice for each and everyone is guaranteed. The opposite — limiting pluralism — diverts people from deep thought, discussion, and innovation.

Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) warns us that every tendency, even one that seems futile, can be turned into good if we use it properly to create a higher entity by fusing it with other qualities. He writes that “when humankind achieves its goal of complete love of others, all the bodies in the world will unite into a single body and a single heart. However, against that, we must be watchful not to bring the views of people so close that disagreement and criticism might be terminated, for love naturally brings with it the proximity of views. And should criticism and disagreement vanish, all progress in concepts and ideas will cease, and the source of knowledge in the world will dry out” (“The Freedom”).

“This,” continues Baal HaSulam, “is the proof of the obligation to caution with the freedom of the individual regarding concepts and ideas. For the whole development of the wisdom and knowledge is based on that freedom of the individual. Thus, we are cautioned to preserve it very carefully.”

Any company that wants to succeed, any sports team that wants to win, and every system in nature, including our own bodies, function only when contradicting elements support one another instead of fighting each other for the sake of a common goal. If the liver and the heart fought over blood because they both need it for survival, we would die; but their complementary functionality guarantees the health of the entire body.

Likewise, every opinion in humanity is important because successful relationships are achieved when we unite above our differences, not when we exhaust ourselves trying to be the last one standing. This constant battle we fight with each other is exactly how cancer behaves toward the rest of the body, and we know how destructive it can be.

Self-Criticism vs. Self-Hatred

There is no problem with disagreeing with the opinion of another Jew. It is legitimate and even blessed because the disagreement is the basis for the growth of a more cohesive and stronger assessment. Whether we like it or not, we are “stiff-necked people,” as dubbed in Exodus 32. However, when a Jew viciously bashes, attacks, and harms another Jew because he or she is Jewish, this cannot be considered a simple difference of opinion. We must name it for what it is: Jewish antisemitism. Even if we do not agree with the opinions of others, we must not cross the red line that leads to gratuitous hatred because it is the cause of every destruction in the world.

Our cataclysms and torments throughout the generations have all followed prolonged periods of division and self-hatred. Some of the main examples of Jewish self-hatred are mentioned in the Talmud, which explains that Nebuchadnezzar conquered Israel and destroyed the First Temple because the people of Israel spoke to one another “with daggers in their tongues.” Similarly, our sages attributed the destruction of the Second Temple to Sina’at Chinam (unfounded hatred, hatred for no reason).

The issue is that our quarrels do not stay “within the family.” Wherever we are, we are observed through a magnifying glass. The entire world observes what happens in Israel as well as what happens between Israel and diaspora Jews carefully and with disproportionate interest in comparison to other regions and peoples.

The same goes for every country where Jews live. Jewish communities as a collective and even Jews as individuals, are constantly judged by their behavior. Such scrutiny is also relevant to entire communities that are judged by the actions of one individual.

The alienation, conflicts, and sometimes outright hatred that we display fuels the hatred of the nations toward us. The opposite extremes that exist between us, along with the endless internal fights, have not allowed us to live in peace and tranquility among ourselves. Strife prevails in the community life between the rabbi and the congregation, among its board members, between Jews of Ashkenazi and Sephardic origin, between Orthodox and Reform, and between Left-wing and Right-wing Jews.

In addition, an abyss opened up between Diaspora Jews and Israel over ideological principles on a variety of issues that have eroded relationships and deeply split Jews in the last few years: the Iran deal versus no deal, the way prayers are conducted at the Western Wall (the Kotel) in Jerusalem, conversions, the relevance of the move of the American Embassy to Jerusalem, the definition of who is a Jew, and how the Jewish younger generation relates to Israel as the ancestral homeland, to name a few.

There are Jews who are fervent anti-Zionists, those who simply oppose Israeli policies, and Jews who are unconditionally pro-Israel. To our enemies, these distinctions do not matter. To them, we are one. But why should we depend on haters to remind us of our shared Jewish heritage? We can easily follow the path of our ancestors to solve our disputes: “Although Beit Shamai and Beit Hillel were disputed, they treated each other with fondness and friendship, to keep what was said” (Babylonian Talmud).

On one hand, there is resistance due to the differences that exist between us. On the other hand, we cannot escape our common destiny: brotherhood through thick and thin for Jewish continuity. As our sages admonished us, “Do not hate your brother in your heart” (Leviticus, 19:17). In Olat Raiah, the great Rav Kook wrote, “Unity that strives to benefit each individual is unsustainable. Even when it seems to grow, it will end in a flame of hatred and war among brothers since each one is pulling in his own direction. However, unity that derives from recognizing the value of love of others will last and strengthen over time.”

Like it or not, we set an example to the world by the mere fact that we are constantly under scrutiny. Our disunity projects itself to the rest of the world, and when the world is disunited, wars ensue, mistrust spreads, economies stall, and people feel alone and depressed. And they blame it all on the Jews. As much as we behave as a divided people, the world will likewise feel that we bring sorrow and torment to the world and will continue to view us negatively.

The Uniqueness of Jewish Self-Hatred

The question of fellow Jews who rebel against their own people has intrigued researchers and historians, among them Sander Gilman, who wrote, “Jewish self-hatred is both unique, following the fortunes of the treatment of the Jews within both Jewish and non-Jewish communities in the West, and representative, since its deep structure is universal.”

The nations of the world treat the Jews among them according to their attitude toward the State of Israel. If Israel benefits the interests of a state or a country, the treatment of Jews living in that place is expressed accordingly. At every point on the globe, a Jew will receive the treatment that Israel receives as if he or she were an integral part of it.

An American Jew or a French Jew will always be associated with Israel. If they live in a country where Israel is appreciated, they will be well-received and feel comfortable and safe. On the other hand, if Israel is condemned, and the locals are impressed by the media that Israel is an occupying and evil state, hatred toward local Jews will increase, and they will feel threatened and scared. This makes those Jews hate Israel, and they are ready to work toward its detriment to the point of its extinction if necessary.

However, some countries do not establish a directly negative attitude toward Israel, but develop hatred toward the Jews who live among them on the pretext that they control the centers of power in the country, steal everything from them, and generally interfere with their lives.

Although the cause of antisemitism is triggered by various circumstances, as illustrated above, the common denominator of all is the same: the accusatory finger constantly points at the Jews simply because they are Jews. Therefore, we hate whatever distances us from other nations because that prevents them from accepting us. We cannot stand a situation where we are not in control, to the deepest point where we want to but cannot rid ourselves of our Judaism and freely choose who we are.

All other nations can become Jewish if they want to, but Jews cannot erase their Jewish identity and become like everyone else, and that destroys them from within. Therefore, some feel deprived and stressed by antisemitism — or rather, anti-Israelism. To escape the hatred directed their way, they develop a deep rejection of the essence of being Jewish. They cannot even explain to themselves such animosity, but it is strong enough to motivate them to act aggressively against their own people.

A Jew always remains a Jew despite any attempt to refuse the Jewish identity and is judged as such. But beyond the desire to blend in among the nations of the world, there is a deeper layer to the root cause of Jewish antisemitism.

To understand the complexity of Jewish self-hatred, one must dig into the essence of the Jews as a people. The people of Israel were not created in the same way as other nations; that is, they were not formed according to a common place of residence and history. Instead, the Jewish people were formed from a collection of people who belonged to many different tribes and cultures but who all subscribed to one common idea.

They were an eclectic company joined only by the idea that one force governs the universe and not some polytheistic system. They also grasped that this force is one of mercy, love, and unity and is the only thing that can connect us above our differences. The meaning of the word “Jew” is derived from the Hebrew word Yehudi (united, striving for Yehud, meaning unity).

Jews have a point within their essence of being that connects them to humanity’s corrected and unified state, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), which is the tenet of the Jewish people. But together with that essential point of unity, Jews also contain the shattered egoistic desires that oppose the point of unification and also have the inclination to detach and separate everyone from the other.

This inner struggle between hatred and the need to connect with others goes back to the time of Abraham in ancient Babylon. The connection between Jewish separation and the subsequent tragedies that befall us has been documented extensively throughout history, as I explain in my book The Jewish Choice: Unity or Anti-Semitism.

The book Pirkei De Rabbi Eliezer says that Abraham, the progenitor of the Jewish nation, was very concerned about the Babylonians among whom he lived. He saw them growing increasingly hostile toward each other and realized that it stemmed from increasing self-absorption.

As a solution to the problem, he began to circulate the idea that people must nurture unity and solidarity to remedy their growing egoism. Those ancient Babylonians who followed Abraham’s guidance and attained the sensation of two contrasting forces, the egoistic force, which is our human nature, and above it, the opposite altruistic force, which is the balancing force of nature itself, became known as “the people of Israel” and later as “the Jews.”

However, around 2,000 years ago, the entire Jewish nation fell from their degree where they related to reality out of a pure intention to love, bestow, and positively connect, and since then have experienced countless variations of internal division and complete solidarity.

As mentioned, every Jew has an inner restlessness and self-loathing — in some more, in some less — because each is made up of those two opposing forces: a pull toward unity and an egoistic opposition to it. As our sages wrote, “With all your heart, with both your inclinations, the good inclination and the bad inclination” (Mishnah, Brachot 9:5).

This is why great contradictions abound in this nation, both between the many denominations within Judaism and within each and every one. The struggle between these two opposing forces causes Jews to find it difficult to get along with themselves or with others.

Here the answer to the question of the spiritual roots of Jewish antisemitism begins to become clear. Every Jew has a potential force of self-hatred because, after all, every Jew has a great egotistical desire that requires balancing with an opposing altruistic power. Otherwise, self-hatred will be the outcome, and in their self-hatred, Jews will want to shed any association with the people of Israel, and integrate instead with the nations of the world. Throughout history, this phenomenon among Jews has manifested in many ways.

Put differently, we are all torn in two because we have two inverted natural forms. On the one hand, we are egoistic like all human beings, even more so — for a good reason that we will see below. On the other hand, we have the beginnings of an altruistic person. This inner split underlies our view of life, the world, and ourselves: caring for others vs. hating others, including self-love vs. self-hatred.

We are torn between the desire to receive and the beginning of the desire to give. As Jews, we can feel complete only when we understand that our goal is to come to love others. This is also the reason why throughout history, Jews have been restless, in constant search, unable to understand themselves, and always wanting to change and correct the world. Out of the duality inherent in them, they always discovered new possibilities for progress.

When Jews become antisemites, it is not just a rejection of the faith; it is a profound objection to the role that the Jews should play in the world: to be a “a light unto nations” and set an example of unity above hatred. This is a serious responsibility because it means that if we do not set an example, the world will not be able to achieve peace, and everyone will blame us for their hatred of each other. As was written in The Book of Consciousness, “We are commanded at each generation to strengthen the unity among us so our enemies do not rule over us.”

We all have a part within us that resents its origin and objects to our task. Just like our forefathers, this is something we all have to overcome by uniting above our self-centered interests. If we let that Jew-hater within us take over, we will increase the separation among us, and the hatred toward Jews will grow even more. Our way to freedom lies not in hating one another and bonding with the world; it lies in loving one another first and then bonding with the world, as it is written, “The children of Israel correct the world when they return to being one nation…the correction should be that we correct ourselves and find the root of unity out of the separation.”

Based on the book, “Jewish Self-Hatred: The Enemy Within — An Overview of Jewish Antisemitism” by Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.