Michael Moritz argues that anti-semitism is a 2,000-year-old condition that is 'always in the atmosphere of humanity.' It flares up in societies where people feel left behind or are less educated, but it never truly disappears.

People naturally attribute successes to their own merits and failures to external forces. Historically successful groups, like the Jewish people, become a convenient external target to blame for personal and societal problems, from a failed business to shark attacks. This psychological bias provides a simple explanation for complex failures.

Unlike other forms of bigotry focused on exclusion, antisemitism often includes a belief in a global conspiracy by Jewish people, which is then used to justify violence against them as a necessary counter-action.

Dara Horn argues that antisemitism is fundamentally not an ordinary prejudice or bias remediable through empathy and personal relationships. Instead, it operates as a repeatable political lie used to gain or maintain power: asserting that Jews are destroying whatever a given society values most. Because it is a manipulative lie rather than simple hatred in individual hearts, countering it requires exposing who benefits from the deception rather than relying on intergroup socializing.

Modern social justice ideologies that frame the world as a conflict between the 'privileged' and 'unprivileged' are described as 'antisemitic adjacent'. This framework recasts Jewish socioeconomic success not as something to be admired but as a pejorative, making it easier to see Jews as part of the problem.

While often overused, Sam Harris asserts that "horseshoe theory"—where political extremes converge—is demonstrably true regarding anti-Semitism. Both the far-left and far-right ultimately arrive at conspiracy theories about secret Jewish cabals wielding unearned power to harm society.

While observers frequently describe antisemitism as a 'canary in the coal mine' warning of future trouble, Horn suggests it marks the end-stage collapse of institutions. When political parties, universities, and legal systems fail to address structural crises, they resort to scapegoating to evade accountability. Surging antisemitism reflects that trusted societal institutions have already deteriorated and broken down.

Coined in 1879, "anti-Semitism" was not just a new word for old hatred. It was a modern political tool framing Jews as a foreign race ("Semites") to specifically oppose their emancipation and the Enlightenment values that enabled it.

Historically, when economic systems create vast inequality (a "K-shaped economy"), populations seek scapegoats. Because Jewish communities often excelled in finance, they become an easy target, conflating systemic economic failure with the people managing the system.