blood libel | #TranslateHate
blood libel
noun \ 'bləd 'lī-bəl \
: perpetuated accusation that Jews have murdered non-Jews (such as Christian children) in order to use their blood in rituals
WHY IT’S ANTISEMITIC:
The blood libel charge—also known as the ritual murder charge—has falsely accused Jews of killing and using the blood of Christians for ritual purposes since the Middle Ages. Blood libels were commonly spread before the Jewish holiday of Passover, outrageously asserting that Jews “used the blood of Christian children” as an ingredient in ritual breads—an association linked to the ancient accusation that Jews are to blame for the death of Jesus (see deicide).
In more contemporary times, blood libel charges evolved into a widespread blame of Jews for unconnected murders and other horrific crimes—including the modern rumors of organ harvesting in Israel and Jews (or Zionists) eating Palestinian children and drinking their blood.
As one of the longest-standing forms of antisemitism, blood libels have led to horrific violence, destruction, persecution, and massacres of Jewish people and communities—before, during, and beyond the Nazi propaganda that used it to demonize Jews. Despite its utter falsehood and its disavowal by Jews, the Roman Catholic Church, and other nonreligious authorities, blood libel remains an influential myth in the 21st century.
