WHY THE JEWS?

Why were the Jews persecuted everywhere throughout history? Was it because they did not have a homeland and so were distributed thinly everywhere without the numeral strength to solidify their position anywhere? Or was it because they outwitted indigenous populations with their superior skill and intelligence to earn the resulting wrath of the locals? How far did the narrative that they had crucified Christ play them into the hands of their Christian persecutors and brought retribution on their heads? Did the Jews, because of their superior attributes of intelligence born out of their culture which highly values learning, somehow refuse everywhere to integrate into local societies in their bid to preserve their culture which in turn singled them out for consistent persecution? But then history records the Jews as having been denied access to most professions in their lands of settlement and been relegated to serving only some selected trades and professions. This had naturally isolated them and not allowed them room for integration into local societies. Therefore, this argument falls flat and the cause of their persecution eludes the integration theory. Then why, for heaven's sake, throughout history have the Jews been segregated for sustained persecution whose climax was reached at Treblinka, Sobibor and Auschwitz?