Jewish blood libel back in the news

It's not often I'm rendered speechless. But the idea that a Jew could raise the medieval blood libel at a time of rising anti-semitism, using confessions extracted in medieval prisons as evidence...

Professor outrages Jews with book claim
Telegraph
08/02/2007

A Jewish academic has shocked Italy by stating that Jews murdered Christians during the Middle Ages so that their blood could be used in ritualistic ceremonies. The details were revealed in yesterday's Corriere Della Sera newspaper which published extracts of the book by Professor Ariel Toaff, Easter of Blood. European Jews and ritual homicides. Last night his claims were denied by leading Jewish figures including his father Elio, once chief rabbi of Rome.

In the book, Prof Toaff describes the multilation and crucification of a two-year-old boy to recreate Christ's execution at Pesach, the Jewish Easter. The festival marks the fleeing of the Jews from Egypt and Prof Toaff says Christian blood was used for "magic and therapeutic practices."In some cases the blood was mixed with dough to make the azzimo, unleavened bread, eaten at Pesach. He says the acts took place in northern Italy, around the city of Trento in German-speaking areas that border modern-day Austria.

Prof Toaff bases his book on confessions he says came from Jews captured and put on trial for the practice, which took place from 1100 and 1500. He writes that several confessed to the crucifixion of Christian children and that they were executed.

However, the claims were condemned by Jewish leaders in Rome. Their declaration read: "There has never existed in the Jewish tradition any ritual involving human blood. It is improper to use the declarations extracted under torture hundreds of years ago to construct theories as original as they are aberrant."The only blood split in these stories was that of many innocent Jews killed for unjust accusations."

However, Prof Toaff, who teaches at the Bar Illan University near Tel Aviv, responded: "This declaration is a disgrace, before judging they should have read my book and then saved themselves the bother."