Final answer:
Antisemitism before the Holocaust drew on political, social, and racial prejudices, which escalated to genocidal levels during WWII. Post-Holocaust, antisemitism persists, manifesting in hate crimes and backlash against the establishment of Israel. It continues as an evolving form of prejudice that adapts to current societal contexts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Antisemitism has a long history, entwining political, social, economic, and religious threads into a tapestry of prejudice that culminated in the Holocaust. This extreme manifestation of hatred during World War II led to the genocide of six million Jews and stemmed from deep-rooted antisemitic sentiment in European society. Antisemitism did not arise with the Nazis; it was an age-old phenomenon exacerbated by trends such as economic insecurity, nationalistic fervor, and racial ideologies prevalent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The propagation of antisemitic propaganda, especially by figures like Joseph Goebbels, created a pervasive belief that Jews were a threat to society.
In the aftermath of the Holocaust, antisemitism didn't disappear. It altered its forms and continued to persist, even in societies like the United States, which had seen relatively less prior expressions of such prejudice. Notably, Jewish people and their places of worship continue to be the targets of hate crimes. A resurgence of nationalist movements in various parts of the world has also seen a revival of antisemitic rhetoric. Furthermore, the establishment of Israel as a response to the Holocaust has had long-term geopolitical consequences and has been a flashpoint for new forms of antisemitism, as well as diplomatic and military conflicts in the Middle East.
Despite legal emancipation and advancements in civil rights, modern antisemitism has evolved to maintain narratives of Jewish people being responsible for various societal ills. This scapegoating is reminiscent of older antisemitic accusations but now also intersects with current geopolitical and socio-economic issues.