blood libel

noun

1. the false accusation that Jews murder Christian children to use their blood in religious rituals:

   blood libels that spread throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.

Word History and Origins

Origin of blood libel¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

So what does it mean for the Jewish community to receive protection from someone who creates fear and dehumanizes these immigrants by saying they are “poisoning the blood of our country”? Is a blood libel bad only when it’s about us?

From Slate

Those who distort language and facts to suggest otherwise are joining a horrible history of blood libel — lies to incite violence.

From Seattle Times

Levin describes Biden’s comments about ”indiscriminate” Israeli bombing as “blood libel” against Jews and says that Biden “funded Oct. 7.”

From Slate

“World Central Kitchen does good work, but this is a blood libel unsupportable by logic or evidence,” Shapiro wrote in a post.

From Salon

“I never thought I would see such blatant antisemitism, with an image that invokes the horrible antisemitic trope of blood libel and that attacks me for no apparent reason other than I am Jewish.”

From Los Angeles Times