In 1840, the French promoted blood libels and the persecution of Jews because it was in their national interest. Almost two centuries later, the French are following the same playbook, as antisemitism explodes in France and Macron rewards Hamas for 10/7 by recognizing a Palestinian state.
Outstanding essay, Rabbi! I must admit that I got a bit lost with all the names… But, the message is clear: K’lal Israel is “Adam” - unity vigilance voice and courage! Am Yisrael Chai!
Thank you for this excellent essay. It seems impossible to overstate the role of blood libel. I have struggled to comprehend the difference between an ordinary lie and a blood libel; each time I think I’ve grasped it, another trap door opens, and I doubt that I will ever understand it.
What strikes me about blood libels—past and present—is how utterly preposterous they always are. It took me a long time to puzzle out why, but I'm starting to see it: one purpose is to craft a lie so absurd that any defense of it lends legitimacy. The absurdity isn’t incidental—it’s the point.
This is why it drives me crazy when people say Israel is “losing the PR war.” The charge of genocide in Gaza is an inversion so preposterous that its very absurdity becomes the defining feature. A blood libel is crafted to trap the accused: silence looks like guilt, but any defense lends the lie weight. That’s the point. And it's what sets libel apart from ordinary lies.
But the longer I think about it, the sicker it looks. AP and Routers talking about the IDF soldiers gunning down starving civilians at distribution sites, or ruthlessly assassinating innocent journalists?!? These libels assault not only Israel and Jews, but also the gullible who accept it—because in believing it, they become complicit. It recalls the madness of witch hunts, Jim Crow lynching, and Mao’s struggle sessions, where public lies and staged humiliations turned entire communities into accomplices. And it's happening now--mobs of college kids so drunk on identify politics and oppressor-oppressed narratives that they are rampaging around and witlessly propagating the most vile and ancient forms of jew hatred in human history.
This alone is clear to me: there is only one eternal blood libel—with each recurrence altered in words but never in substance.....because there is no substance.
Thank you again for your important reminder. Israel is not failing in the PR war; by indulging these libels, we are failing Israel. I’m not calling for censorship—I’m writing this down for anyone to see, maybe just to rally myself to speak up a little bit louder and more often.
Quoting this great essay: "...when they were exposed to the antisemitism that France displayed in the Damascus Affair [in the 19th century], French Jews were completely shaken up. In fact, all of world Jewry was shocked that the blood libel accusation — a throwback to the antisemitism of the Dark Ages — was initially accepted as fact by almost the entire press in Europe. How could it be that educated citizens and modern leaders believed and supported this baseless and ridiculous accusation?" Yep. History is repeating itself, again.
“If an Italian citizen was arrested in Poland or a Frenchman in Germany, would all of Italy or all of France be praying on his behalf and advocating for his acquittal? Would Italians or Frenchmen all over the world be constantly worried about him and awaiting news of his release?”
“Of course not.”
“Yet, when one Jew in Russia is falsely accused of murder, the entire Jewish nation stands with him, because we are truly one.”
Funny how the Italian and Frenchman are merely “arrested” (Falsely? Rightfully?) but the Jew is “falsely accused of murder”. Even when trying to deflect the criticism, it’s proven.
You clearly have no other hobbies beyond 'Jew-fixation' . But thats not a real hobby, so i suggest you go amuse yourself in a way thats less toxic. Dont you recognize yourself in all the sick jew haters in this historical context? Amazing that all you got out of a story of torturing Jews is some semantics you spin to find Jewish wrongdoing. You are afflicted with a terrible mental sickness.
In 1840, the French promoted blood libels and the persecution of Jews because it was in their national interest. Almost two centuries later, the French are following the same playbook, as antisemitism explodes in France and Macron rewards Hamas for 10/7 by recognizing a Palestinian state.
Very detailed and educational! Ignorance, hatred and bias have long been the tools of our enemies.
Outstanding essay, Rabbi! I must admit that I got a bit lost with all the names… But, the message is clear: K’lal Israel is “Adam” - unity vigilance voice and courage! Am Yisrael Chai!
Thank you for this excellent essay. It seems impossible to overstate the role of blood libel. I have struggled to comprehend the difference between an ordinary lie and a blood libel; each time I think I’ve grasped it, another trap door opens, and I doubt that I will ever understand it.
What strikes me about blood libels—past and present—is how utterly preposterous they always are. It took me a long time to puzzle out why, but I'm starting to see it: one purpose is to craft a lie so absurd that any defense of it lends legitimacy. The absurdity isn’t incidental—it’s the point.
This is why it drives me crazy when people say Israel is “losing the PR war.” The charge of genocide in Gaza is an inversion so preposterous that its very absurdity becomes the defining feature. A blood libel is crafted to trap the accused: silence looks like guilt, but any defense lends the lie weight. That’s the point. And it's what sets libel apart from ordinary lies.
But the longer I think about it, the sicker it looks. AP and Routers talking about the IDF soldiers gunning down starving civilians at distribution sites, or ruthlessly assassinating innocent journalists?!? These libels assault not only Israel and Jews, but also the gullible who accept it—because in believing it, they become complicit. It recalls the madness of witch hunts, Jim Crow lynching, and Mao’s struggle sessions, where public lies and staged humiliations turned entire communities into accomplices. And it's happening now--mobs of college kids so drunk on identify politics and oppressor-oppressed narratives that they are rampaging around and witlessly propagating the most vile and ancient forms of jew hatred in human history.
This alone is clear to me: there is only one eternal blood libel—with each recurrence altered in words but never in substance.....because there is no substance.
Thank you again for your important reminder. Israel is not failing in the PR war; by indulging these libels, we are failing Israel. I’m not calling for censorship—I’m writing this down for anyone to see, maybe just to rally myself to speak up a little bit louder and more often.
Brilliant points.
Well said! Great insights.
Quoting this great essay: "...when they were exposed to the antisemitism that France displayed in the Damascus Affair [in the 19th century], French Jews were completely shaken up. In fact, all of world Jewry was shocked that the blood libel accusation — a throwback to the antisemitism of the Dark Ages — was initially accepted as fact by almost the entire press in Europe. How could it be that educated citizens and modern leaders believed and supported this baseless and ridiculous accusation?" Yep. History is repeating itself, again.
perfectly well said.
Fascinating to see how so little has changed and that, so sadly, history keeps repeating itself when it comes to Jew-hatred.
“If an Italian citizen was arrested in Poland or a Frenchman in Germany, would all of Italy or all of France be praying on his behalf and advocating for his acquittal? Would Italians or Frenchmen all over the world be constantly worried about him and awaiting news of his release?”
“Of course not.”
“Yet, when one Jew in Russia is falsely accused of murder, the entire Jewish nation stands with him, because we are truly one.”
Funny how the Italian and Frenchman are merely “arrested” (Falsely? Rightfully?) but the Jew is “falsely accused of murder”. Even when trying to deflect the criticism, it’s proven.
You clearly have no other hobbies beyond 'Jew-fixation' . But thats not a real hobby, so i suggest you go amuse yourself in a way thats less toxic. Dont you recognize yourself in all the sick jew haters in this historical context? Amazing that all you got out of a story of torturing Jews is some semantics you spin to find Jewish wrongdoing. You are afflicted with a terrible mental sickness.
Don’t you have sycophantic clapping to be getting on with, in between your boo-hooing and burnishing your victim complex?