Disloyalty/Jewish Loyalty

The stereotype that questions or denies the loyalty of Jews includes accusations of disloyalty to the home country or to non-Jews, insinuations of divided loyalty between the home country and Israel, of being more loyal to Israel or of being loyal exclusively to Israel, and finally accusations of being loyal first and foremost or only to Jews. Other variants of the disloyalty stereotype are highlighting connections and solidarity networks among Jews as something negative, or as something that would either bring disadvantages to non-Jews or be the main driver of success for Jewish individuals in society. Doubts about the loyalty of Jews and the claim that they show a lack of loyalty to the society they live in or to their home country have a long history and are closely linked to other antisemitic ideas. First, the stereotype builds on the notion of Jews as a distinct, self-contained community of outsiders perceived as categorically separate from the non-Jewish in-group and serves to exacerbate this separation and sow mistrust. As alleged non-members, they are assumed to pursue their own interests that do not correspond to, or even work against the interests of the society around them or their home country.