The origins of anti-Semitism can be traced back to Ancient Egypt. The anti-Jewish attitude of Pharaoh was not directly related to something the people of Israel had done wrong. Pharaoh’s antagonism to Jews had to do with a new political situation: Pharaoh’s opposition to the previous government, which was friendly to the Jews, especially because of Yosef.
This is the first example of an incredible paradox that repeated itself numberless times in Jewish history. Being loyal to a present local government leaves Jews exposed to the whims of a new government, coming from the opposition. Let me explain: In exile, Jews were always very loyal to the local government. And thus, for example, when the son of the previous king succeeded his father, Jews were respected by the new monarch, for the loyalty Jews had shown towards his father. But if the previous King was not succeeded by his son, if the previous King, for example, was dethroned or overthrown by the opposition, now the Jews would have to pay for their loyalty to the previous government.
Is this what happened in Egypt when a new Pharaoh came to power? Everything seems to indicate so. And based on the plain narrative of the Biblical text (peshat) now the new Egyptian King inspired in the heart of the masses a new antagonism to the Jews. And this when, for the first time, we will find a very distinctive element of anti-Semitism: anti-Semitic propaganda.
In Parashat Ki-Tabo the Tora refers in one word, to this type of anti-Semitism. It tells us that before torturing us with hard labor the Egyptians yare’u otanu (וירעו אותנו המצרים ויענונו). This sophisticated Hebrew word vayare’u is usually translated as “damaged us” or “they did bad to us” . But there is another possible reading of this word, without forcing the delicate semantics of this term. Rather than translating “they did bad to us” this verse might be telling us something deeper: the Egyptians “made us bad”, i.e., “made us look bad” or in one word, “demonized us.” They spoke ill of us and falsely accused us of horrible acts. Pharaoh demonized us suggesting that Jews became rich by robbing the Egyptians. Or that because Jews are a separate people, their loyalty to Egypt is questionable…. This fake propaganda was necessary to justify their case for persecuting, killing and destroying us.
The demonization of the Jews was, and unfortunately still is, the first step in any Antisemitic campaign. For centuries Jews were falsely blamed for the most heinous crimes: poisoning wells of water (in the time of the Bubonic plague, 1350), killing a god, killing children to eat their blood in the Matza, etc. Some of these ridiculous allegations, incredibly, are still spread until today. The “demonization” of the Jews was, is and will remain a prerequisite to pursue and condemn the Jews.
Pharaoh continues his inflammatory speech:
הבה נתחכמה לו: “The Jews are smart, let us outsmart them” The Jews had a reputation for being smart, studious, a people who appreciate the value of education. Pharaoh does not deny this. But in his anti-Semitic rhetoric Pharaoh “demonize” the intelligence of the Jews and presents it as a kind of negative and evil “cunning” which will eventually lead them to betrayal.
ונוסף גם הוא על שונאניו ונלחם בנו ועלה מן הארץ
“They will join our enemies, they will fight against us and abandon the land”. Pharaoh’s speech is a typical demagogic discourse of a dictator. Note that Pharaoh does not address his court or his cabinet (‘abadav) as he does when threatened by the plagues. He speaks directly to the people (on national TV).
Pharaoh ends his speech with the most popular, harmful and unfounded anti-Semitic accusation. “The Jews will betray us, they will join our enemies and take our wealth with them.” Pharaoh is trying to sow fear in the Egyptian population, and like many other tyrants he used the essential characteristic of the Jewish people, their sense of community and unity, to demonize them. The greatest strength of the Jewish people is used by the anti-Semite as their greatest vulnerability. Thus, even it is a lie, it is credible to accuse of disloyalty a people that resists assimilation ….
