The Khazar theory is one of the most ridiculous and persistent antisemitic fabrications in modern history. It claims that Ashkenazi Jews – the vast majority of Jews alive today – aren't descendants of the ancient Israelites from the Middle East, but instead come from Turkic-Khazar converts from the 8th century. According to this nonsense, they're "fake Jews" with no legitimate tie to the Land of Israel. It's as absurd as saying modern Italians are mostly Mongol descendants because of some distant historical overlap. Total rubbish, pushed only by those eager to deny Jewish identity and fuel hatred.
This theory is so flimsy it relies on wild speculation with zero solid evidence, and contemporary science has buried it for good. Let's dismantle this lie piece by piece, and yes, if you're still peddling it today, you're not just wrong; you're carrying on a long tradition of disguised antisemitism.
Ironically, the idea started from a well-intentioned place. In 1976, the Jewish author Arthur Koestler published The Thirteenth Tribe, arguing that the Khazars, a Turkic kingdom between the Black and Caspian Seas – converted to Judaism in the 8th century and formed the basis of Ashkenazi Jewry. Koestler wanted to combat Nazi-style racism by showing Jews aren't a "pure race." But antisemites, from neo-Nazis to anti-Zionists, twisted it: "See? Ashkenazim are impostors! No link to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – so why does Israel belong to them?"
It became a weapon. Mahmoud Abbas quoted it in a 2018 speech, claiming Ashkenazi Jews are "Khazars." But like others, he ignored the facts and the science.
Let's get to the truth. The Khazars did partially convert in the 8th-9th centuries under King Bulan, likely to stay neutral between Byzantine Christianity and Abbasid Islam. Historical letters, like that of Hasdai ibn Shaprut, mention Khazar Judaism. But the kingdom fell in 965 to Russians and Muslims, and the people assimilated or vanished. There's no historical evidence of mass Khazar migration to Central or Eastern Europe, where Ashkenazi communities grew. Ashkenazim spoke Yiddish, a Germanic-Hebrew-Slavic language, with customs rooted in Rhineland (German) Judaism from the 10th century. No Turkic languages or Khazar traditions.
Now, genetics seals the deal. Major studies, Harry Ostrer's in 2010, a 2014 Nature Communications paper, Doron Behar's 2013 work examining thousands of samples – show Ashkenazi Jews are a mix of 50-80% ancient Levantine (Middle Eastern) origins, plus Southern European (mostly Italian) and some Eastern European. Virtually no Turkic-Khazar DNA. Behar's research explicitly stated the Khazar hypothesis "is unsupported." Even Israeli geneticist Elad Segev noted in 2017 that Ashkenazim are closer to Sephardi and Middle Eastern Jews than to Turks or Caucasians. If there were a huge Khazar influx, we'd see Mongoloid or Turkic markers, we don't.
Why does this theory linger? It's convenient for antisemites. It lets them call European Jews "foreign colonizers in an Arab land," ignoring that half of Israel's Jews are Mizrahi, expelled from Arab countries. It denies continuous Jewish presence in Israel (even as a minority) and the exile from Babylonia and Rome. It's part of broader "Jewish replacement" tropes claiming modern Jews aren't "real."
The real ugliness: it's used to justify violence. Neo-Nazis in the US call Jews "fake white Khazars." Online forums like Stormfront or certain Reddit threads spread it in memes. Even pseudoscientific books like Shlomo Sand's (The Invention of the Jewish People) echo similar ideas (without Khazars), though Sand admitted he's no geneticist.
Politically, extreme anti-Zionism uses it to label Israel a "colonial apartheid state." If Jews are "Khazars," they're invaders. But this ignores that Ethiopian, Yemenite, and Iraqi Jews are genetically closer to Ashkenazim than to neighboring peoples – proving Jewish continuity.
Scholars like Sergio DellaPergola or Martin Gilbert have debunked it in books. Academia views it as fringe, like flat-Earth nonsense. If someone brings it up in debate, ask: "Have you read the latest genetic studies?" Most haven't.
In the end, the Khazar theory is an antisemitic farce, a pseudoscientific lie to erase identity. It's laughable because it ignores history, genetics, and basic logic. Anyone believing it does so out of hatred, not truth-seeking. Time to toss this garbage into the history books where it belongs.
Sources and Further Reading Khazar Hypothesis of Ashkenazi Ancestry - Wikipedia
Untangling False Claims About Ashkenazi Jews, Khazars and Israel
No evidence from genome-wide data of a Khazar origin for Yiddish-speaking Jews
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