A Public Performance of Blood Libel at the Nation’s Capitol Is an Open Call to Harm Jews—Not Free Speech
Since the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack against Israel, antisemitism in the United States has surged. Synagogues have been attacked, and Jews have been assaulted simply for wearing a kippah or a Star of David. Slogans like “From the River to the Sea” and “Globalize the Intifada” now echo as thinly veiled calls for violence.
Our Founders understood that free speech has limits—because words can endanger lives. You cannot yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater and hide behind the First Amendment. That line was crossed at a recent protest in Washington, D.C., where Israeli flags were used as tablecloths and grotesque images of cannibalism and blood-drinking were displayed. This was not a protest. It was a modern public performance of blood libel—the same lie that has fueled the murder of Jews for centuries.
Blood libel is not speech. It is incitement.
It is a medieval myth claiming Jews murder non-Jewish children for ritual purposes. This lie has led to pogroms, expulsions, torture, and mass murder:
- Blois, 1171: Over 30 Jews burned alive.
- Trent, 1475: An entire community tortured and executed.
- Kishinev, 1903: Three days of slaughter sparked by a rumor.
- Beilis Affair, 1913: One man dragged through a show trial that inflamed an empire.
- Kielce, 1946: Holocaust survivors murdered after another baseless accusation.
Each time, blood libel was not a “viewpoint.” It was a weapon—used to terrorize, dehumanize, and justify killing Jews.
The display in Washington is not merely offensive. It is a dangerous escalation and a direct call to harm, especially in a moment when threats and violence against Jews are already rising. This is not protected expression; it is a reenactment of the very propaganda that has historically preceded attacks and massacres. The “fire” is not theoretical—it is already spreading.
When blood libel reappears as a political performance at Union Station, the message is unmistakable:
It is open season on Jews. We are less than human. We are legitimate targets.
America has a legal and moral obligation to stop this.
The First Amendment does not protect deliberately slanderous, historically violent propaganda designed to provoke attacks on a minority population. Those who propagate blood libel are not exercising free speech—they are inciting violence. They must be held accountable.
Congress, law enforcement, and civic leaders must act:
- Recognize blood libel displays as incitement, not protected speech.
- Enforce existing laws against threats, harassment, and targeted hate.
- Pursue legal consequences for individuals and organizations that use blood libel imagery to provoke violence.
- Protect Jewish communities with the urgency this moment demands.
In a time of rising hatred, silence is complicity. Confronting antisemitism is not only a Jewish responsibility—it is an American one. Our nation’s commitment to safety, justice, and equality depends on drawing a clear line:
Blood libel is not free speech. It is a call to violence—and it must end now.
18 Comments
As a Catholic ally to the Jewish people, I stand for Israel. Am Israel Chai! I will continue to fight Antisemitism in my circles and learn more about Judaism.
Our elected officials should lead and speak out against the blood libel. Unfortunately some are cowards and others complicit. Jews are once again the canary in the coal mine.
This isn’t free speech. It is becoming a clear and present danger to Jews in this country (and elsewhere). It must stop.
Violence, regardless of toward whom, generates even more violence in the whole world. It introduces a huge distortion of permissiveness into the consciousness of teenagers. But for us, Jews, it is important to care about the unity of the nation and to spread the idea of unity in the world. Unity above all our disagreements is the strongest weapon, available only to courageous people who are capable of fighting not with others, but with their own bad intentions toward others. Only the flag of unity and love in the people of Israel must be our guiding star.
Thank you for your efforts! I’m supporting this petition because confronting hatred is essential for any society that seeks peace. Blood libel is not dialogue—it is incitement that fragments our shared humanity. We all have a responsibility to draw the line at speech that endangers lives.
This is blood libel. Not free speech
Alarming
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A Public Performance of Blood Libel at the Nation’s Capitol Is an Open Call to Harm Jews—Not Free Speech
Since the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack against Israel, antisemitism in the United States has surged. Synagogues have been attacked, and Jews have been assaulted simply for wearing a kippah or a Star of David. Slogans like “From the River to the Sea” and “Globalize the Intifada” now echo as thinly veiled calls for violence.
Our Founders understood that free speech has limits—because words can endanger lives. You cannot yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater and hide behind the First Amendment. That line was crossed at a recent protest in Washington, D.C., where Israeli flags were used as tablecloths and grotesque images of cannibalism and blood-drinking were displayed. This was not a protest. It was a modern public performance of blood libel—the same lie that has fueled the murder of Jews for centuries.
Blood libel is not speech. It is incitement.
It is a medieval myth claiming Jews murder non-Jewish children for ritual purposes. This lie has led to pogroms, expulsions, torture, and mass murder:
- Blois, 1171: Over 30 Jews burned alive.
- Trent, 1475: An entire community tortured and executed.
- Kishinev, 1903: Three days of slaughter sparked by a rumor.
- Beilis Affair, 1913: One man dragged through a show trial that inflamed an empire.
- Kielce, 1946: Holocaust survivors murdered after another baseless accusation.
Each time, blood libel was not a “viewpoint.” It was a weapon—used to terrorize, dehumanize, and justify killing Jews.
The display in Washington is not merely offensive. It is a dangerous escalation and a direct call to harm, especially in a moment when threats and violence against Jews are already rising. This is not protected expression; it is a reenactment of the very propaganda that has historically preceded attacks and massacres. The “fire” is not theoretical—it is already spreading.
When blood libel reappears as a political performance at Union Station, the message is unmistakable:
It is open season on Jews. We are less than human. We are legitimate targets.
America has a legal and moral obligation to stop this.
The First Amendment does not protect deliberately slanderous, historically violent propaganda designed to provoke attacks on a minority population. Those who propagate blood libel are not exercising free speech—they are inciting violence. They must be held accountable.
Congress, law enforcement, and civic leaders must act:
- Recognize blood libel displays as incitement, not protected speech.
- Enforce existing laws against threats, harassment, and targeted hate.
- Pursue legal consequences for individuals and organizations that use blood libel imagery to provoke violence.
- Protect Jewish communities with the urgency this moment demands.
In a time of rising hatred, silence is complicity. Confronting antisemitism is not only a Jewish responsibility—it is an American one. Our nation’s commitment to safety, justice, and equality depends on drawing a clear line:
Blood libel is not free speech. It is a call to violence—and it must end now.
18 Comments
The history of torture and murder of Jewish individuals and small communities over this type of incitement often starting with plotted innuendo, goes beyond this short list, including many close calls where the matter was proven false to the local government in time and stopped in time. Those thankful latter cases were not enlightened democracies. Especially when the government know ab initio that this is a viscous myth and is a government "for the people and by the people", it should act decisively to protect its citizens. "Freedom of speech" was never intended as a shield for persecution.
As a Catholic ally to the Jewish people, I stand for Israel. Am Israel Chai! I will continue to fight Antisemitism in my circles and learn more about Judaism.
Our elected officials should lead and speak out against the blood libel. Unfortunately some are cowards and others complicit. Jews are once again the canary in the coal mine.
This isn’t free speech. It is becoming a clear and present danger to Jews in this country (and elsewhere). It must stop.
Violence, regardless of toward whom, generates even more violence in the whole world. It introduces a huge distortion of permissiveness into the consciousness of teenagers. But for us, Jews, it is important to care about the unity of the nation and to spread the idea of unity in the world. Unity above all our disagreements is the strongest weapon, available only to courageous people who are capable of fighting not with others, but with their own bad intentions toward others. Only the flag of unity and love in the people of Israel must be our guiding star.
Thank you for your efforts! I’m supporting this petition because confronting hatred is essential for any society that seeks peace. Blood libel is not dialogue—it is incitement that fragments our shared humanity. We all have a responsibility to draw the line at speech that endangers lives.
This is blood libel. Not free speech
Alarming
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The history of torture and murder of Jewish individuals and small communities over this type of incitement often starting with plotted innuendo, goes beyond this short list, including many close calls where the matter was proven false to the local government in time and stopped in time. Those thankful latter cases were not enlightened democracies. Especially when the government know ab initio that this is a viscous myth and is a government "for the people and by the people", it should act decisively to protect its citizens. "Freedom of speech" was never intended as a shield for persecution.