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Subscribe to RSSWithin minutes of the release of Sarah Palin’s video response to the Tucson shootings, the Web ignited with furious debate about the former Alaska governor’s use of the phrase “blood libel” to describe connections drawn between Arizona shooter Jared Loughner and conservatives who have used guns and violence as metaphors for political activism.
In a nearly eight-minute long message, Palin said that “journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn.”
The intensely controversial nature of the term stems from its origins in hundreds of years of anti-Semitic rhetoric – a detail made no less striking by the fact that Loughner’s target, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, is her state’s first Jewish congresswoman.
According to The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, the term refers to:
The accusation that Jews murder non-Jews to obtain blood for Passover rituals. This accusation was repeated in many places in the Middle Ages and was the cause of anti-Jewish riots and massacres. It was a regular motif in anti-Semitic propaganda until the Second World War.
The first recorded accusation of Jews murdering Christian children appears to have been in 1144 A.D., when -- according to Thomas of Monmouth, a monk – a English boy’s murder by crucifixion was blamed on Jews in Norwich.
The myth – which became pervasive in medieval times and beyond – evolved into a popular superstition that Jews harvest the blood of Christian children to make Passover matzoh or to use for other ceremonies.
Less than 4 hours after the release of the video, Wikipedia.org's entry on “blood libel” had been updated to note Palin's application of the phrase to the aftermath of the Tucson shootings.
Despite the bright spotlight pointed at Palin’s uttering of the flashpoint expression, hers was not the first usage of the phrase by a conservative in the wake of the Arizona shootings. Several other commentators -- all political conservatives -- invoked “blood libel” in print yesterday.
In an op-ed about the shootings in the Wall Street Journal on January 11, University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds asked “Where is the decency in blood libel?” Human Events staff writer John Hayward urged the “Right to fight back” against blame for the attacks in a piece titled “The Giffords Blood Libel Will Fail; The Left rides a horse that is dying beneath them.”
And, on the same day, the editorial page of the Washington Examiner slammed New York Times columnist Paul Krugman for placing “the blood libel of blame for the Tucson murders squarely on the shoulders of the crowds at the McCain-Palin rallies and right-wing extremism."
*** UPDATE *** Several national Jewish organizations have responded to Palin's use of the phrase.
Abe Foxman, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said that it was "inappropriate at the outset to blame Sarah Palin and others for causing this tragedy," but added that "we wish that Palin had not invoked the phrase 'blood libel' in reference to the actions of journalists and pundits in placing blame for the shooting in Tucson on others."
"While the term 'blood libel' has become part of the English parlance to refer to someone being falsely accused, we wish that Palin had used another phrase, instead of one so fraught with pain in Jewish history," he said.
And Simon Greer, the president of Jewish Funds for Justice, called Palin's use of the term "totally out-of-line."
"The term “blood libel” is not a synonym for 'false accusation,' he said. "It refers to a specific falsehood perpetuated by Christians about Jews for centuries, a falsehood that motivated a good deal of anti-Jewish violence and discrimination."
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This would be an excellent opportunity for Roger Ailes, of Fox, to show us that his words are not hollow and release Sarah Palin from her Fox contract. It is apparent that she is unqualified to offer an educated view of social and political issues. Her video again was more about herself, and not about how to remedy a volatile situation. What an absolute dumb remark to utter about "Blood Libel". How is that term relative to what happened in Arizona? I never thought I would say this but, I feel sorry for the Tea Party if this is your Spokesperson.
She's being blamed for this despite the fact (so far at least) there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that the psycho was influenced in any way shape or form by Palin for what said psycho did. She has a right to defend herself; and she can't help it if people who "hate" her willfully take everything she says out of context.
Both sides use crosshairs. Even your hero Bob Beckel said he has used crosshairs in the past. You people need to quit with the blame. Blame the nut with the gun.
And of course Carrie Dann learns nothing from the last four days... within minutes of the shooting the blood libel began. I know it must seem mean spirited but looking at the left from a conservative point of view, it's as if you have a mental blockade going when the truth tries to enter the picture.
I can't add anything intellectually to the growing case against Sarah Palin. I, too, am saddened by her instigation. Blood libel is the wrong phrase. What I can add is that there is a whole other dimension to this, the progressives, like me, who are farther today than yesterday from being able to negotiate in good faith with these people. I can't find any common ground with people like that. I foolishly hoped that "We the People" could resolve our problems. But, if she's presidential material, and if a whole segment of the population admires her gun-toting metaphors, then I'm at a complete loss. It's not that I don't want conservatives to succeed. It's just that I need real leadership in their presidential candidate.
It's one thing to let everyone in the room think your an idiot,
it's something els entirely for you to comment on what you don't understand,
and there by, remove all doubt.
She needs to stop talking, before someone else gets hurt. The more she says, the more controversial she becomes.
Palin's talk "influenced" the psycho? Are you breaking a story?
Hardly.
The use of this phrase--in the article it says that it was believed up until WWII--unfortunately there are still those who believe and repeat this slander against Judaism all over the world, including the USA although it is most prominent in the Muslim world!
The use by Sarah Palin, whose most ardent supporters seem to come from those who are also inclined to believe and repeat the "blood libel" against Jews, is interesting. Is is just another way of trying to insinuate that her followers are really the victims in our big society?
As to nasty rhetoric, I find Keith Olbermann and Rachel Madow, among other liberals, just as guilty at times as Limbaugh and Beck. They are all political loons.
GUILTY CONSCIOUS huh lady ? Your party has been spouting off hate & lies ever since we elected a new president and now you come up with a new catch phrase , bullet point what ever , guilty conscious huh lady ?
If people were accusing you of INDIRECTLY "influencing" a psycho into commiting a mass murder when there is no evidence whatsoever that you INDIRECTLY "influenced" said psycho, would you not defend yourself? What's with the "hate" Leroy?
Some groups can be insulted very easily, even when what was said had very little, if anything to do, with what they are saying about Sarah Palin's reference to "blood libel'. Had they not said anything most people would never have associated the term "blood libel" as being anti-semetic.
david Yes i am afraid of having this burnout serve as president. Didn't burnout bush wreck this country enough already? At least he had a medical excuse, his brain was burned out from alcohol and cocain. What's her excuse?
I would stick it to Palin :p
Like Sarah or despise Sarah..........we all can agree on one thing. Sarah is ia mental midget. She quit as governor of Alaska, she singlehandedly took John Mccain down and she helped introduce the country to fellow idiots like Angle and O'Donnell. Wait, are we sure she isn't a Democratic plant?
I love it, Rob, a "mental midget". Except you gave her too much credit and way too many brains! When she opens her mouth, I think of that ole movie, "Deliverance", you know -- the hill folk, strumming their fiddles and their arsenals. When did America sink to the level of glorifying white trash and backwoods hill folk?
Blood libel covers anyone who shoots off their mouth about placing human beings in the crosshairs of their burgeoning arsenals.
My wager is that 99% of those decrying Palin's use of this insensitive term had absolutely no idea of its history prior to reading this or a similar article. This is at least the third instance since Saturday that liberals have attempted to use these tragic events to slander Palin and other they hate. Yes, hate.
First, you leftists criticized Palin before it was even known if the congresswoman would survive, blaming the actions of a lunatic on her. The initial reaction was, "how can we make political hay and/or destroy Sarah Palin with this." Shameful.
Second, when Palin didn't trot out a hasty response to these foolish and bitter accusations, she was called insensitive and her silence was tantamount to her admission of culpability.
Now, she calls you people and your bitter, nasty, inhuman hatred out and an obscure term is seized upon. You call her stupid, but she's savvy enough to know the etymology of a recondite phrase and to slyly use it to insult Jews. Children, please!
The only person at fault here is Loughner. I know you all hate Sarah and I'm sure you all harbor masturbatory fantasies about "sticking forks in her", etc., but using such a heinous event to smear an innocent person is pathetic, and frankly disturbed.
Well now we have two universal truths............. Loughner was the perpitrator of this heinous event in Arizona and Sarah Palin is an Imbecile. Glad you cleared this up............................
Before you throw stones, genius, learn to spell perpetrator. Kinda hard to mask your imbecilic tendencies when spell check isn't there to rescue you, huh?
Oh, come on Elvis. Everyone makes typos, duh, but not every American places other human beings in the "crosshairs of their arsenals"! How low class, cheap and tawdry -- if it did not incite the crazies into practicing her low class reasonings for solving issues with guns and murder.
Immediately after Palin threatened all of these democrats by placing them in the crosshairs of her arsenal, the crazies broke windows and even vandalized a democratic lawmaker's gas line, in which this dem soon retired from office! Duh, I guess he felt a little threatened, enough to resign!
The guy with the gun shot everyone not Palin. Palin didn't encite anyone to shot anyone. The guy is a wacko. Put the blame where it belongs. As for Palin, no one said anything about her intellegence but if your not pro obama then you are an idiot just ask any of the talking heads on TV with the exception of Fox and thats a totally different story.
As for spelling I'm deslexic and I can't control sometimes what I am typing so if I spelled anything wrong please shoot me.
Skor154, You have got to be kidding? How old are all you people?
Most of you who have responded here are of the female persuasion.That being said you are nothing more than jealous whores who no nothing of what you speak,so shut up and find something good to do with the rest of your miserable little lives.
thomas edwin kerley I wonder if you think this of all women in general or just those that disagree with you?
Oh, Thomas, I am most assuredly not jealous of Sarah Palin. A few years back, I might have been a bit jealous of Jackie Kennedy, but then she was not a low class, cheap white trash, cave woman, whose intellect only reflects the passing of hundreds of years. She is as relevant to today's problems and issues as is her moose stew, sweet tater pones, muskets and bear skin cape.
We should have removed ourselves from powdered wigs, gun toting white trash and muskets several hundred years ago and joined the rest of the civilized world. Inspiring guns to solve problems and placing others in the crosshairs of their muskets certainly does not reflect intellectualism or that higher level of consciousness, so necessary for today's world. Palin is a jealous whore of Davy Crockett, hee haw!
Skor154 Your brilliant. I almost fell off my damned chair laughing. A tip of the hat to you!
DUH! Her whole point is that political rhetoric has nothing to do with this tragedy. Now her critics attack her for her rhetoric. She has been so demonized by the liberal media, that people will now attack her for anything she says and does. By the way, in reading these comments about Palin, speaking of excessive rhetoric.....
Dear Michael and Carolyn;
What does rhetoric mean. I haven't gotten that far in my junior high school english class this year. Thanks for the help.
Sarah Palin
Wouldn't it have been easier to say, "yes, I participated in the rhetoric like everyone else and for MY PART I apologize."
Done. All the other words are meaningless.
However, may I point out the best part, when my entire family erupted, was when she said (paraphrase), "When we said take up arms....we meant go out and vote!"
Really? Seriously? Wow. The things these talking heads expect us to beleive.
i have to add, that i have read most of the posts on here, and am plesently surprised to find them logical for the most part. nice read!
This woman is outrageous. All overheated rhetoric is wrong but for her to make it about herself at this time... Well, she's answered her own question. She has only herself to blame. Still, foolish to let her get to us...The best thing is to cut her media oxygen off at the source. I've no doubt the President will do another fine job tonight.
1st off, can we all agree that while she may have read the speech aloud, Sarah Palin wouldn't know what blood libel was if it bit her on the arse. She's reading a speech someone else wrote. She's a puppet, and a very stupid one at that.
2ndly, are any of you shocked that she would use racist, discriminating, xenophobic terminology & not even realize it's offensive?
This is Sarah Palin, what did you expect? She keeps being offensive and her fanatics keep defending her.
Use the brain in your head and stop being shocked by her antics. If you vote her into office, you have no one to blame but yourself.
Oh Sarah, please stop making a fool out of yourself. You are an embarrasment to women everywhere.
Let's see: Even though you were McCains running mate you had no idea what the responsibilities of the Vice President are. You could not name any periodicals you regularly read. You could not name a Supreme Court decision other than Roe v. Wade. Now you use a term that is insulting to Jews, so either you didn't know what it meant and you didn't care enough to find out or you purposely decided to use the phrase "blood libel" knowing full well that Giffords is Jewish. Either way you should NEVER hold any kind of public office again.
...and Thomas Edwin Kerley, the word you're searching for is KNOW!
Lil-iodine, right on. You just got my vote and thinking.
Palin needs to learn to keep her mouth shut. Enough already. Same goes for her cronies.
Jews -- especially Orthodox and Conservative Jews -- have very strict dietary laws, called "Kashruth" Other Jews respect these laws, even if they do not follow them. The modern world abhors cannibalism -- and Jews, especially, abhor it! The eating of human flesh is expressly forbidden in these laws of Kashruth! (I certainly hope that Ms. Palin has not added anti-Semitism to so many other reasons to dislike her!)
Alexandra Covington I'm beginning to believe she really doesn't have a clue. That's why i fear having the dim bulb on the bottom of the tree run the country, instead of the bright bulb on the top. We already went through this exercise before with bush.
Some groups of people can be insulted very easily, even when what was said had very little to do with they are insinuating. Such as Sarah Palins, reference to the term, "blood libel' She was not refering to anything semetic as some who oppose her would want you to belive. Most people would never make that connection. But then some people use what happened 80 years ago for political gain any time they can. Let those people who suffered rest in peace.
There are numerous aspects of Sarah Palin that I dislike. But I think what really bothers me is her Ignorance and the fact that she is blissfully unaware that she is stupid.
As a moderate, it is people like Palin that push me away from conservatism. Left or right, any extremism is scary. What ever happened to normal people?
You are not alone.
Exactly what is so "extreme" about Sara Palin? Oh yea, she's a white woman who gave birth to 5 white children.
Whats extreme about Palin, are you kidding me. While she got rid of corrupt polititions in Alaska and gets no credit she quits being governor in the middle of her term. She has a totally disfucntional family that is out of control. She has diarea of the month and never thinks about what she is saying. Typical of Republicans she pushes her religion at the major point of her compentency.
Where or where is someone that places being American over being a Democrat or Republican. When are we going to elect a president that understands what America is all about and stops lying.
The answer is when Pigs Fly.