Arizona Shooting

January 12, 2011

Palin slammed for using ‘blood libel’ term [VIDEO]

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Rabbi Marvin Hier calls Palin “Over the top.” Read why here.

Sarah Palin’s use of the term “blood libel” to decry blaming conservatives for the Arizona shooting has raised the ire of the Jewish community.

In a video statement released Wednesday, Palin said that “Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own. They begin and end with the criminals who commit them. Especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible.”

The blood libel refers to accusations that began in the Middle Ages that Jews used the blood of murdered Christian children to make matzah for Passover.

“The blood libel is something anti-Semites have historically used in Europe as an excuse to murder Jews—the comparison is stupid,” Hank Sheinkopf, a Jewish New York-based Democratic political consultant told Politico. “Jews and rational people will find it objectionable. This will forever link her to the events in Tucson. It deepens the hole she’s already dug for herself. … It’s absolutely inappropriate.”

Palin has been criticized since the shooting for using images of a gun crosshair to identify vulnerable districts in the November elections, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who was shot in the head and seriously injured in the Jan. 8 attack at a Tucson shopping mall that left six dead and at least a dozen injured.

J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami criticized Palin’s use of the term blood libel.

“We hope that Governor Palin will recognize, when it is brought to her attention, that the term ‘blood libel’ brings back painful echoes of a very dark time in our communal history when Jews were falsely accused of committing heinous deeds,” he said in a statement. “When Governor Palin learns that many Jews are pained by and take offense at the use of the term, we are sure that she will choose to retract her comment, apologize and make a less inflammatory choice of words.”

David Harris, the president and CEO of the National Jewish Democratic Council, said that “All we had asked following this weekend’s tragedy was for prayers for the dead and wounded, and for all of us to take a step back and look inward to see how we can improve the tenor of our coarsening public debate. Sarah Palin’s invocation of a ‘blood libel’ charge against her perceived enemies is hardly a step in the right direction.”

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PALIN IS A MORON…PLAIN AND SIMPLE, AGAIN SHE NEEDS TO NOT SPEAK AT ALL!!!!

Comment by caroline argento on 1/12/11 at 11:28 am

Leftist morons are leftist morons be they Jew or Gentile.  A blood libel was exactly what the left unleashed against Palin and those who disagree with the moronic policies of the left.  I am not familiar with Harris’ organization, but J-Street is a typical knee-jerk mouthpiece for leftist causes.  Constitutional conservatives will not be intimidated or silenced by the goons of whom Palin speaks.

Comment by Bill Dalrymple on 1/12/11 at 11:54 am

Logic only please, not: 1)  Caroline, simple name calling, 2)Sheinkopf says “stupid” and “objectionable”, but offers no logic. The remark is not illogical and it was the commentators who chose to incite and rationalize, 3)Ben-Ami “painful and shouldn’t be used”. Huh? This is reasoning? 4)Harris All we want is for people to speak kindly. How sweet. I am not a fan of Palin, but I am a fan of straight talk and non-emotional, factual, meaningful retorts. Only then can we make progress.

Comment by Don Smith on 1/12/11 at 11:55 am

Democratic consultant, JStreet’s Ben-Ami, give me a break. this statement is 100% correct:

Gov. Palin got it right, and we Jews, of all people, should know a blood libel when we see one.

Falsely accusing someone of shedding blood is a blood libel – whether it’s the medieval Church accusing Jews of baking blood in Passover matzos, or contemporary Muslim extremists accusing Israel of slaughtering Arabs to harvest their organs, or political partisans blaming conservative political figures and talk show hosts for the Tucson massacre.

Comment by paul jeser on 1/12/11 at 12:22 pm

Palin is correct.

Comment by Avi on 1/12/11 at 2:08 pm

Palin is accurate. I disagree with this article. Leftist jews like J-street do not speak for me

Comment by Danny on 1/12/11 at 3:35 pm

Palin is complaining about the media’s blood libeling her? Let’s see…Lock and load and crosshairs of a gun on a candidate doesn’t count? She can say anything that suggest violence? Yet people who are in the deepest of pain from the murder of 6 people including a child born on 911, a congress woman who was shot in the brain and scores of others that were injured is a blood libel? If her words don’t count why should the people who point a finger at her. If her words do count, she should apologize to the world and then remain quiet in her corner of Alaska.

Comment by Phillip Cohen on 1/12/11 at 3:47 pm

What kind of example are we setting for our youth? We are part of enviroments! Crosshairs on political maps and rallies which include shooting fully loaded m-16s suggest violence is ok. Given her influence, am disappointed that Palin did not take the opportunity to denounce violent imagery, speech, and use of weapons in the politcal arena—and everywhere else.  The buck doesn’t stop with the person who pulls the trigger. It takes a whole community…a whole nation, for that matter.

Comment by ari renee kloke on 1/12/11 at 3:47 pm

“Raised the ire of the Jewish Community?” who decided these people speak for the entire community. This sick young man and the horrible killings he caused were used instantly to slam talk radio and anything else that “Our Spokesman” Sheinkopf and Be-Ami find objectionable. What has happened to the once great JTA? Is it any wonder that they are in financial trouble? I hope that break their ideological shackles and return to the sane middle ground they use to occupy.

Comment by Rafael Guber on 1/12/11 at 3:54 pm

“What has happened to the once great JTA? Is it any wonder that they are in financial trouble? I hope that break their ideological shackles and return to the sane middle ground they use to occupy. “

So the JTA should only publish news that you agree with? That would be brilliant journalism.

If the ADL had made this claim instead of J Street, would that be okay with you?

Comment by Meridith on 1/12/11 at 4:30 pm

Meridith were you this outraged when Paul Krugman said during the health care debate “By all means hang Senator Leiberman”? How about when President Obama said at a Philadelphia fundraiser about what he would do to counter Republican attacks “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” Do you find this hate speech “chilling?”

Comment by Rafael Guber on 1/12/11 at 4:53 pm

Jewish Journal is always acting as a echo chamber for the most left of the Democrats, please surprise us one day with an original and independent voice.

Comment by shura Reininger on 1/12/11 at 5:11 pm

Alan Dershowitz, that radical right-wing, conservative, neo-con, fascist, self-hating Jew (is my sarcasm showing?) said this: The term “blood libel” has taken on a broad metaphorical meaning in public discourse….”  There’s more (obviously) but the JJ’s 700 character limit prevents me from copying it all.  Here’s the link: http://biggovernment.com/publius/2011/01/12/exclusive-alan-dershowitz-defends-sarah-palins-use-of-term-blood-libel/

Comment by Grantman on 1/12/11 at 5:43 pm

Ms Palin does not usually surprise me; this is an exception. Who is writing her speeches? I don’t think she even knows the reference. I am no fan, but I never thought she was a bigot. I hope she is ignorant instead. It is never too late to learn something; maybe this will enlighten her.

I can’t even think of anything I can liken this remark to, in order to show her a comparison. This is not a good example, and yet it may make an impression. If I were a woman of color, sticking up for me with a “rebel flag” wrapped around me in a picture, or a verbal reference to me as an Aunt Jemima, would bring a similar loathing. I offer my apologies for not finding something more suitable

Comment by suzi on 1/12/11 at 5:52 pm

Politics is a dirty, filthy, nasty game playing business and it does not have to be that.  Anyone that spouts outrageous blather would always have their rights protected by the ACLU.  Nazi’s are protected by the ACLU and so are skin-heads, klan and other supremacist groups.  It is not even just the aforementionted.  There are more.  They’re all idiots.

Comment by Brura on 1/12/11 at 6:07 pm

We all need to tone down the rhetoric.  We Jews should be ashamed of those on the left who have either said or implied that Sarah Palin and/or people on the right were to blame for the heinous crime of a crazy man.
Where was the outrage when people “on the left” were spewing hatred of President Bush.
We all need to be more civil - on “both sides of the aisle”.  Calling Sarah Palin names only lowers the name-caller.
Let’s try to respect one another and make our society a better place.

Comment by Michael Waterman on 1/12/11 at 6:23 pm

palin has been stirring up the gun nuts for a couple of years. now that they are shooting people, she is saying ‘oh, that’s not what i meant’.  what did she mean? this is just some more typical right wing dodging of responsibility. that she does this is not surprising. she could not even handle the job she had as governor of alaska and quit. what is surprising is that there are still some idiots who think she would make a good president. and i apologize to idiots for associating them with people who think palin would make a good president. i just could not think of a better word.

Comment by paterson dave on 1/12/11 at 6:47 pm

The fact that the media took such a tragedy & exploited it for an anti-palin article is sad in the first place.  Then she is being acussed of being anti semitic because of the word blood libel.  Which is an action, not an individual occurance like “the bay of pigs” or “watergate”.  I don’t agree with Sara Palins politics or even religious beliefs.  She get’s so slammed.  It’s like people are fascinated with her & hate her.  It is definately a shame that Sara Palins name even has anything to do with this tragedy….she’s probably never even been to tuscon.

Comment by leah on 1/12/11 at 7:31 pm

Palin is a puppet and a phoney one at that.

Comment by ARI MITBAR on 1/13/11 at 7:34 am

Calling Palin to task is not exploitation, it’s an attempt to point out the violent consequences of repeated violennt rhetoric. Yes, gratuitously inflammatory remarks on the left are wrong, too. But Palin et al have ramped up the trash talking to new hights - or lows. Those who repeatedly spout “personal responsibility” should have the integrity to criticize their own behaviors. And - maybe let’s think twice about cuts to mental health services.

Comment by Gary on 1/13/11 at 7:57 am

Too many words-too many wankers….

Comment by ARI MITBAR on 1/13/11 at 8:07 am

I had to sound ignorant, and yet I must.  What is a wanker?

Comment by SUZI on 1/13/11 at 9:13 am

When the term “blood libel” was used in a WSJ article on January 10th, where was the outrage?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703667904576071913818696964.html

Oh, there wasn’t any? But Palin get’s the moronic left in an uproar two days later? Sorry, moronic left-wing Jews! Take a hike!  Besides, who really supports Israel, Palin and conservative Christians or the Jewish left, hmmmmmmmmmmmm?

Comment by Bill Dalrymple on 1/13/11 at 10:47 am

“Blood Libel” has not been copyrighted to the use by and for Jews. If I wanted to use that term in another event, why will jews be upset with someone using that term if not directed towards them? Stop finding a reason to go after Palin. Stop being a “no catastrophe should go to waste, turn it into a attack point against the enemy” kind of group.

Comment by Marc on 1/13/11 at 12:08 pm

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