Antipathy for the Jews - what some have called "Judeophobia" - has existed in America since before the founding of the republic. In spite of this, the level of hatred toward Jews has never equaled that found in other parts of the world. This is because the founding documents of the American republic endowed the Jews, and those of every creed, with equal rights and legal protection. Since religious equality is a fundamental right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, Jews have consistently maintained that those who discriminate contradict the American way of life.