[Bernard]

I've never understood the term "anti-semetic", because it was my understanding that Semitic refers both to Jewish people and Arabs, among others.

And, considering that Barack Obama is 1/8 black and 3/8 Arab, that means he has more Semetic background than black. So, if Obama is anti-semetic, does that mean he doesn't like himself?

Especially strange, since the Hebrew form of the name Barack is Baruch.

[danieldu]

A word is usually defined by its intended use and common understanding of what the word means. What the word anti-semite means is “hostility or prejudice against Jews”. You will find it a common practice on the Internet that those who try and twist the meaning of the word “anti-semitic” harbor a hatred of Jews and so play the game of “what does the word really mean?”. It means what any dictionary will tell you.

[danieldu]

From leftist Wikipedia:

"While the term's etymology might suggest that antisemitism is directed against all Semitic peoples, the term was coined in the late 19th century in Germany as a more scientific-sounding term for Judenhass ("Jew-hatred"),and that has been its normal use since then."

[rmlew]

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. The term "antisemitic" was coined in the late 19th century by Wilhelm Marr to seperate modern racial anti-Jewish theories from medieval anti-Jewish dogma. It is not anti-Arab.