Except that Zionism has only existed as a coherent and codified ideology since 1896 and AIPAC has only existed since 1963.

In fact Herzl published Der Judenstaat as a response to what he witnessed covering the Dreyfus Affair as a journalist.

Except, er, so since AIPAC has only be around since 1963 and the concept of Zionism over 100 years, that couldn't possibly be a reason why people have a problem with Jews? shrugs

I think the point being made is that antisemitism has been around for thousands of years, and the groups you're talking about have been around for 100. So they don't explain anti-semitism.

Actually, they do.

Assuming that OP hasn't been around for thousands of years himself, I could only point out modern day antisemitism which makes perfect sense. OP never asked for a complete history.

However, if you're going to get to the root of things, you'd have to bring up religious prejudices passed down through the centuries as well as the origin of money lending and banking which undoubtedly cast Jews in a bad light.

This documentary had some good examples as well as an overall interesting view of money itself: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ascent_of_Money

Edit: And this is now getting downvoted why? What the hell is going on here?

Firstly, I don't agree that modern day antisemitism makes sense because of those groups.

But even if that were the case, you're making a pretty ridiculos argument:

1) Antisemitism has been around for a thousand years, before certain organizations existed.

2) Antisemitism is still around now.

3) Now it makes sense, because those organizations exist.

Whereas it makes a lot more sense that these organizations are an excuse for antisemitism, not the cause. After all, antisemitism has been around non-stop for thousands of years, there's no reason to think that it would have stopped had these organizations not existed.

The person you're responding to is saying that the zionist movement is a major reason for modern antisemitism. That antisemitism predates the zionist movement has no power to refute his point, unless the reasons for antisemitism have been static throughout history, which they haven't.

I don't think he's attempting to give a formal proof, he's just saying that TheDroids argument doesn't pass a basic sniff test.

People have been not liking jews for waaaay longer than a mere hundred or so years. Therefore, neither of those things can logically explain the bulk of anti-jewish sentiments.

Was not trying to explain the bulk- I just gave a few points that have been relevant for at least 100 years, especially in the US.

Edit: HN has turned into Reddit. Ghostdownvoters, downvotes without explanation. Oy vey!

Downvoted for complaining about downvotes.

Antisemitism has been around for much, much longer.

Really laying into me now at -11.

Not sure how my points weren't completely relevant. They were.

Wow, I watched myself go from +3 to now -3

Either I made some sense (pointing out that AIPAC or Zionism could be a reason for hatred) or these guys just showed up in the thread:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Internet_Defense_Force

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Defense_League

This isn't reddit, and it definitely isn't /r/politics. Your tone is out of place on news.yc and people are downvoting you because you're diminishing the quality of the discussion.

TheDroids:

You obviously don't understand how the HN discussion system is supposed to work, and you've been hellbanned to boot (which is why I am responding to you here), so you might as well just stop.