Ashkenazi Jews are Khazars

DNA studies demonstrate that Ashkenazi Y-Chromosome Jews originated in Middle Eastern populations [ which are  NOT necessarily Semite - Editor ], as has the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of at least 40% of the current Ashkenazi population. So although Khazars might have been absorbed into the Jewish population it is unlikely that they formed a large percentage of the ancestors of modern Ashkenazim.

Another criticism that has been levelled against Koestler's work is that he largely appropriated his history from such sources as D.M. Dunlop, sometimes without proper attribution. [ This point is known as a non sequitur - Latin for it does not follow - historians DO say the same things about the same matters - Editor ]  Moreover, it has been pointed out that his more speculative second half (discussing his theories about Ashkenazi descent) is largely unsupported; to the extent that Koestler referred to place-names and documentary evidence his analysis has been described as a mixture of flawed etymologies and misinterpreted primary sources.

Other critics of the Khazar-Ashkenazi theory have stated that the prime motive for even the small degree of acceptance of these ideas is because they have become political and anti-Zionist in nature. The Khazar theory has been adopted by many anti-Zionists, especially in the Arab world;^[6] such proponents of the theory argue that if Ashkenazi Jews are primarily Khazar in origin, then they would be outside the scope of God's promise of Canaan to Israelites as recorded in the Bible. This ignores, of course, the fact that the Biblical promise explicitly includes converts, and the fact that over half of Israeli Jews are not Ashkenazi. (see Demographics of Israel, Jewish exodus from Arab lands) Some have countered that such charges of a political motive are not relevant to the core of the argument; in any event, Koestler himself was emphatically pro-Zionist based upon secular considerations.

The Khazar claim has also served as a catalyst for state anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union and a justification for conquest by Russian nationalists. [4]
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The Wikipedia's story has an interest. It claims that the Ashkenazi to Khazar link is made because it is politically convenient. It is true that people tend to use the facts that help their case. It also explains why the Wikipedia is pushing the opposite position. The Wikipedia likes to be thought of as an honest source. It does not like you to know that it was set up by Jews, is owned by a Jew and controlled by a Jew to serve  Zionist purposes.

 

Semitic Language Area

In linguistics and ethnology , Semitic (from the Biblical "Shem") was first used to refer to a language family of largely Middle Eastern origin, now called the Semitic languages. This family includes the ancient and modern forms of Akkadian, Amharic, Arabic, Aramaic, Ge'ez, Hebrew, Maltese, Phoenician, Tigre and Tigrinya among others. Semitic speaking People (orange color) But that doesn't stop the Jews for the ownership of the words "Semite" and "anti-Semitic".

 

Ashkenazi Jews Expanded Exponentially After Mediaeval Bottleneck