Middle east outcome

[SuperChuck]

Throughout history, Jews have usually been smarter and more successful than other cultures, starting banks, businesses, etc., as a result this jealousy has cause many groups, not just Muslims, to hate them.

There's no smiley for "you got it right on the nose" (although I suppose that smiley would look more like a field sobriety test)...

(Actually, that may be the smartest thing said in this thread)

Jews in Medieval Europe created a great economic "empire" for themselves. The majority of their success came from being outsiders (sorry, not because they were necessarily smarter) and were able to do business freely. Basically, if were were from country A, you did business in country A and hate the people from country B; being outsiders with no allegiances, Jews did business in countries A, B, and C.

As WW points out, people hated their success. The German city states in particular are famous for gathering up as many copies of the Talmud (the Jewish book of law) and burning them in public. This hatred never really died out and, hundreds of years later, Hitler revived the book burning.

If you ever get the chance to, take a medieval history course. It's really amazing how much of European history goes back to the middle ages and before.

Edit: I don't think calling the Jews smart and successful is racist (hell, it sounds like a compliment to me).