A Palestinian minister of education in Gaza recently published an article in the Arab media in which he claimed that Jews used the blood of non-Jews to bake matzoh (unleavened bread) for Passover. A quick look shows that this evil blood libel is still prominent and given credence among the Palestinian leadership, perpetuating the blood libel until it has spread even to the left-wing movement in the US.
Dr. Nasser al-Yafawi: Jews Bake Bread With Non-Jewish Blood on Holiday
Dr. Nasser al-Yafawi identifies himself as the Director at the Ministry of Education in Gaza for the Palestinian Authority on his Facebook Page. As such, his activities are overseen and partially funded by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The Jewish blogger, Elder of Tziyon, reported on Friday that Dr. al-Yafawi published an article titled “The Truth About the Jews Baking Pies With the Blood of Gentiles,” in the Arabic language Egyptian news site Essahra and Palestinian sites Mashreq News and Al Bousla. The article begins:
“On their holy feasts, especially the Eid al-Kabir, crunchy bread is eaten, and the crime is that this bread is not eaten unless it is kneaded with the blood of a non-Jew from the nations.”
Eid al-Kabir, literally meaning the “great feast,” is also called Eid al-Adha (meaning the “feast of sacrifice”).T he festival corresponds to the end of the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).
Damascus Blood Libel of 1840
In his article, Dr. al-Yafami related the Damascus blood libel: the story of Father Thomas, a French citizen and a Franciscan Capuchin friar from the Island of Sardinia, and his Greek servant, Ibrahim Amarah, who disappeared in Damascus in 1840. The article relates the blood libel as confirmed and factual, bringing the confessions elicited by torture as proof.
At the urging of the French government, the Ottoman authorities arrested 13 notable members of the Damascus Jewish community who were accused of murdering the two Christians in order to use their blood to make “Yom Kippur pastries.” The accused Jews were tortured and pogroms ensued with the Muslim populace pillaging a local synagogue. The incident drew international condemnation and the nine prisoners remaining alive were released. Rather than quell the horrific blood libel claims against Jews, the incident was followed by the publication of several books claiming that the incident confirmed the claim.
In his article, Dr. al-Yawafi decried the release of the Jews, stating that the Talmud instructs Jews to use the blood of non-Jews to bake cakes for the Yom Kippur feast.
Blood Libel: Ancient Antisemitism
It should be emphasized that Jews fast on Yom Kippur and the consumption of any blood, and most particularly human blood, is expressly forbidden by the Bible.
For the life of all flesh—its blood is its life. Therefore I say to B’nei Yisrael: You shall not partake of the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Anyone who partakes of it shall be cut off. Leviticus 17:14
The blood libel is one of the oldest forms of anti-Semitism with cases being recorded in the Greek Empire. The Greek version claimed that Jews sacrificed non-Jews in the Temple in Jerusalem. This became universal with blood libels being perpetuated all throughout Europe resulting in executions and pogroms. Blood libels in England resulted in Jews being expelled in 1290.
Blood libels continued well into the 20th Century but mostly disappeared in Europe following the Holocaust but the myth is openly perpetuated to this day in several Arab countries and Iran.
Blood Libels Today
In April 2013, the Palestinian non-profit organization MIFTAH, founded by Hanan Ashrawi published an article which criticized US President Barack Obama for holding a Passover Seder in the White House by saying “Does Obama, in fact, know the relationship, for example, between ‘Passover’ and ‘Christian blood’…?! Or ‘Passover’ and ‘Jewish blood rituals?!’ Much of the chatter and gossip about historical Jewish blood rituals in Europe is real and not fake as they claim; the Jews used the blood of Christians in the Jewish Passover.” Though it was universally reported in Western media that Ashrawi apologized for this blood libel, the apology was only posted in English. Israel Behind the News reported that In its Arabic posts, MIFTAH unapologetically attacked any who criticized their publication.
The Palestinian blood libel against Jews has been taken up by left-wing activists. In a video filmed in July, a Black Lives Matter march in Washington DC was seen chanting “Israel we know you, you murder children too.”
As recent as March 2020, Italian painter Giovanni Gasparro unveiled a painting of the martyrdom of Simon of Trent, titled “Martirio di San Simonino da Trento (Simone Unverdorben), per omicidio rituale ebraico (The Martyrdom of St. Simon of Trento in accordance with Jewish ritual murder)”.
The attitude of the Catholic Church towards these accusations and the cults venerating children supposedly killed by Jews has varied over time. The Papacy generally opposed them, although it had problems in enforcing its opposition.
In a January 25, 2020 interview on Alkofiya TV (UAE/Egypt) al-Yafawi said that the “compass of resistance” should point to Palestine and that the Deal of the Century, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu will all die.
