blood libel

Noun

blood libel (countable and uncountable, plural blood libels)

1. (conspiracy theories) The false, anti-Semitic accusation that Jews abduct and murder non-Jewish children to use their blood for their religious rituals and holidays.
   • The Jews of Russia are accused of having murdered a Christian child for ritual use. The blood libel against the Jews, which cropped up from time to time in various countries for centuries, has long been established as a myth invented by anti-Semites.1911 August 27, Herman Bernstein, “Ritual Murder Libel Encouraged by Russian Court”, in The New York Times
   • The Jewish reaction to blood libels appears less articulated than we might have expected, because although it denied any Jewish culpability, it internalized some of the narratives which nourished the ritual murder accusations.2002, Anna Sapir Abulafia, Religious violence between Christians and Jews, page 99

   Synonyms:

   blood accusation

2. (broadly) Any false or purportedly false accusation of murder of a non-Jew by a Jewish person or organization.
   • The Israeli Cabinet, meeting in emergency session, issued a statement tonight calling allegations of Israeli responsibility a “blood libel.”1982 September 20, David K. Shipler, “Killings a Shock, Israeli Aides Say”, in The New York Times
   • Charges “Blood Libel.” Mr. Sharon, the architect of Israel's war in Lebanon and now Minister of Industry and Commerce, has charged that he was libeled in 1983 by a Time article suggesting that he condoned, if not directly encouraged, the September 1982 massacre by Christian Phalangists of...1984 November 13, David Margolick, “Trial in Sharon Libel Suit vs. TIME Opens Today”, in The New York Times
3. (broadly) Any false or purportedly false accusation of guilt, especially of guilt in mass murder or homicide.
   • In Washington, the conservative commentator Patrick Buchanan refined the analogy between Jews and their killers, and wrote that those who call for sensitivity to the Jews in this matter are guilty of “a blood libel” against Catholicism.1989 September 3, Leon Wieseltier, “At Auschwitz, Decency Dies Again”, in The New York Times
   • What I called blood libel was the charge that Pope Pius XII, and my church, were moral accessories to mass murder.1989 September 12, Patrick J. Buchanan, “‘We Did Not Go to Auschwitz to Be Beaten’; In Defense of Pius XII”, in The New York Times
4. More generally, any canard or virulent lie about someone.
   • Listen to Florida Democrat Peter Deutsch last night on Crossfire: “Let me just talk a little bit about... the worst statements I have ever heard probably in my life about anything. I mean, almost a blood libel by the Republicans towards Al Gore, saying that he was trying to stop men and women in...2000 November 21, Josh Marshall, quoting Peter Deutsch, “TPM Editor's Blog”, in Talking Points Memo
   • Bush administration allies exploited the former Congressman's predatory history to spread the grotesque canard that homosexuality is a direct path to pedophilia. It's the kind of blood libel that in another era was spread about Jews.2006 October 15, Frank Rich, “The Gay Old Party Comes Out”, in The New York Times