NO, IT IS NOT, AND IT MATTERS NOT

  Apparently, the latest trend in the oh so trendy theme of Anti Semitism morphing ever so quickly into acts of violence, to which words are added in order to create an ever more toxic and combustible reality of late, with roots going all the way back into the 1300s, is going viral once again. Claims of blood libel. For those who do not know what that means, blood libel is the accusation that the Jewish people basically have a mandate to kidnap and slaughter non-Jewish children, preferably Christian, and using their blood to enhance their cooking, especially the making of matzo for the holiday of Passover

Needless to say, this is nonsense, except that nonsense does not lead to slaughter. It does not lead to bloodshed. What it does lead to, hopefully, is to its reversal and sent to whence it originated, where it belongs. That would be on the heads, the shoulders, the bodies, the toes, the hearts, the souls of those church officials, those political entities who shout out accusations  re the illicit use of blood by Jews and urge people on to take revenge in any which way possible, the more violent, the more slaughter, the more bloodshed, all the better.

For those who do not know, the rules in the Jewish religion regarding blood in many different areas and spheres of interest are very strict. There are strict laws regarding murder of another, the proof necessary, the possibilities available and all according to strict laws. If someone were to have been falsely accused and punished, the onus of that violation would be on those who judged, or rather misjudged. Those responsible are the political and judicial heads, held to answer and to pay the consequences necessary. 

Even the bloodshed of wars is carefully regulated in order to ensure that  it is a war actually justified and not a war waged simply to gain wealth and power and certainly not to morph into that from what is called, a war of mitzvah or command of justice and righteousness into the other war, one of vanity and ambition, and needless bloodshed. At times it must be said that it is difficult to split the hair and find when and if a war of mitzvah, veers into the other kind of war, a most definite no - no. In fact, all such wars according to our tradition and our history have been held to account and proper consequences applied, most of the time with reminders as to why exactly this is happening

Unfortunately, today's world seems to be composed mainly of ignorant hate filled human beings who have crossed out the word human from their description. They are egged on by other ignoramuses who take a bit of history that might have come their way and proceed to pervert and twist it all into that which it is most definitely not. However, there are those who are clever enough to know that the claim of blood libel thrown at the Jewish people, be they in America or Israel or France or wherever, will arouse people into paroxysms of fury merging into madness and hence, the slaughter begins.

However, it must be said that when Israel is wrongfully accused at present of the "slaughter” of innocents, actually not so innocent in Gaza, there is an egregious misuse and mis-claim by the foes of the Jewish people to arouse further antisemitism all the way up to and including murder. Murder most foul to use the words of Shakespeare.

Unfortunately, it is also used by allies of Israel without and within the nation, also to arouse ire and anger. The FBI issues a PSA warning Israelis and Jews in the country to be careful where once it was a cherished right of Jewish people to walk this land freely without fear of harm, without fear of oppression and suppression. Now endangered and thus used as a tool of arousing righteous anger and support, the claim of blood libel grows. But with deeper insight and investigation, there is no actual claim and accusation of traditional blood libel, but rather a claim now of excess slaughter of "innocent civilians", in great numbers, a term and accusation leaving much room to be misinterpreted, misused, and as a tool for aggravation of hostilities where there need be none, at least with that causation. It    is being applied to Israel in its fight in its national homeland, and around the world, yet another aggravation which need not be. However, once let out of the bag of misinformation and disinformation and propaganda; to rile up fever on both sides, it quickly loses any kind of manner of control and/or reversal and here we are today.

How not so special.

There is no question about the righteousness of the Israeli people to send in their armed forces to Gaza after October 7 against the continued barbarity of the kidnappers and murderers of Israeli citizens and of citizens of other nations, most of whom did absolutely zero in trying to free their hostages. Why? For on the most part these were all Jews, hence considered disposable unless able to be used to somehow bring about a ceasefire with most of the ceding coming from Israel. The Israeli nation had no choice but to send in the troops to defeat Hamas and all terrorist groups and abetting 'civilians', whose plan was to continue their invasion and reach all the way into the heart of Israel and continue to slaughter all Jews within the borders of Israel and then proceed on to the rest around the world.

 Mat al Yahud, the constant and everlasting theme, Death to the Jews. All those who think that they can solve this eternal issue by joining with some Palestinian or Gazan women and hence create peace. a true, equitable, lasting peace, well, sadly mistaken is an understatement and greatly mistaken is more apt. Dreams are great and enhance the world, but reality must be reckoned with as well,

Whether the claims of blood libel against the Jews took root in the fertile lands of Europe or the lands of Arabia, the end result was the same. It was slaughter of the Jewish people, brutal and nasty. The kidnapping of some children of Christian origin, to be held as 'proof' of the accusation, along with the accompanying benefit of kidnapping children of the Jewish persuasion to be forcibly converted into a Christian religion, encouraged its growth, and permanence and as an excellent pressure relief valve for the rulers of these offending and offensive nations. 

This has not changed from day one and frankly, I can't see any change in the offing, perhaps not even until the coming of the Messiah, a long quantity of years, of centuries, even of millennia. Despite all this, from the beginning of time, since the acceptance of Abraham of the one G-d, His children have been through thick and thin, through negativity and opposition, and survived and even thrived through it all. Through the dastardliest ambitions of their foes. And thus, it will always be, no matter what trash, what mud, what accusations are thrown. They will never stick and that knowledge, that surety and certainty have kept us going. Keeps us raising families. Keeps us thinking and creating and inventing and delivering to the world as part and parcel of our contribution to it, our participation in and our right to be of it. The equal to any and all.

 This current war is not one asked for nor ignited nor wanted by Israel. We did not invade. We did not slaughter and strangle children. We wish to live quietly, safely within our communities, within our own land. We did not send terrorists into the land of others. We had no desire to wage war against terrorists armed and financed from the lands of Arabia. We have no desire to be considered the "other”, always to be the target of murder and slaughter and animosity. However, when war is pushed upon us, we will not stand there and do nothing. We will defend ourselves to the last one, to the last body, to the last stone to be thrown. 

Yet even though Israel is righteous in our defense she is condemned by the nations of the world. Why? Because only when Israel is on the receiving end is there any sympathy, paltry, as it is, emerging from mouths, but when they manage to defend themselves, it is another story from the nations of the world. They compete in defamation of Israel, of its level of 'offense' behavior, such as others never are at all. Israel is fighting a war, truly known to be a war of existential threat, even as the nations of the world engage in denial.  Even as all nations watch the rising tide of hate of Jews and the degree of filth and violence directed at them, ever more bold, widespread and even condoned and celebrated by these self-righteous nations of the world. Despite the will of the rest of the world, Israel will not cede its integrity and rights as a nation. Never.    

There is no doubt there is much more to say in this regard, but that is for another day. Perhaps even tomorrow.

For the truth of the yesterdays. For the realities of our todays.  For the sake of our tomorrows, we must, must, do better There is no viable alternative.