- Blood libel is an antisemitic lie that Jews murder non-Jewish children as part of Jewish ritual. It was initially used to divide the Jewish and Christian communities, emerging in the 12th century as the claim that Jews used Christian blood to make matzo (unleavened bread used during the Passover holiday). It then spread across Europe and the Arab world as an antisemitic trope.
- This propaganda has no basis in Jewish practice. Jews follow the 10 commandments, which includes “thou shalt not murder” as the sixth commandment (Exodus 20:12). Jews also do not consume the blood of any animal (or eat any humans), as Jewish dietary law (Kosher laws) forbid consumption of blood. (Leviticus 7:26-27; Leviticus 17:10-14.)
- Some anti-Zionists perpetuate this antisemitic trope by falsely claiming that Israelis kill Palestinian children to steal their organs.
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/blood-libel
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-ten-commandments/
https://nypost.com/2018/05/07/the-new-antisemites-promote-a-very-modern-blood-libel/
