There are two groups of Semitic people in the world today: all the people whose language is Arabic and all the people of Ethiopia who speak many languages. The Ashkenazi of today speaking Hebrew does not make them a Semitic people for the same reason a Chinese who speaks fluent English is not an Englishman.
Theodor Herzl Complete Diaries – Vol 1 – page 170:
Someone may think that our lack of a common language would present difficulties. After all, we cannot converse in Hebrew. Who among us knows enough Hebrew to ask for a railroad ticket in this language? We have no such people.