https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/11/16/englands-shameful-history-blood-libel-compelled-denounce-corbyns/
OnThursdayIjoinedJohnLeCarré,TrevorPhillips,FiyazMughalandmanyothersinsigningaletterexplainingourrefusaltovoteLabouron12December.Theconcern–indeed,thedread–whichweexpressedwas“theprospectofaprimeministersteepedinassociationwithantisemitism.”WhetherJeremyCorbynispersonallyanti-semitic,orwilfullyblind,orboth,Idonotpresumetojudge;butthesheerrangeofhiscontactswithindisputableanti-semites,hisrepeatedexpressionsofenthusiasmforthem,meansthatIhavelongfounditimpossibletoignoretheanxietiesofJewishfriends.
Oneassociationinparticularseemstomebeyondthepale.In2011,writingintheMorningStar,thefutureLabourleadercondemned“theZionistlobby”forsecuringthedeportationfromBritainofaPalestinianactivistnamedRaedSaleh.Ayearlater,CorbynwasstillcampaigningonSaleh’sbehalf,andevenissuedhimaninvitationto“teaontheHouseofCommonsterrace.”Itishardtothinkofanyonelessdeservingofsuchaninvitation.SalehhasbeenconvictedofdeployingthemostrepellantofallthemanycalumniesdirectedagainsttheJewsoverthecenturies:thechargethattheyareinthehabitofmixingchildren’sbloodwiththeirritualbread.
ThisbloodlibeliswidelyrepeatedacrosstheMiddleEasttoday–butitdidnotoriginatethere.ItoriginatedinEngland.Thecontextwasagrowingdreadin12thcenturyChristendomoftheJewsaswillingagentsoftheDevil.Increasinglytheywerefingeredassorcerersandblasphemers:enemiesoftheChurchwho,giventhechance,wouldpollutethesacredvesselsusedintheeucharistwiththeirspit,theirsperm,theirexcrement.Darkestofall,theywerechargedwithmurder.
In1144,thediscoveryofayoungboy’scorpseinawoodoutsideNorwichpromptedahostofsensationalaccusations:thattheboyhadbeenkidnappedbythecity’sJews,torturedasChristhadbeentorturedandofferedupasasacrifice.Thestoryspreadlikewildfire.AssimilartaleswerereportedacrossChristendom,afurtherhellishrefinementwasadded:thattheJews,inagrotesqueparodyoftheeucharist,mixedbloodintotheirbread.
Thatthisclaimwascondemnedasalibelfirstbyanimperialcommission,andthen,in1253,bythepapacyitself,didnothingtostopitsspread.Twoyearslater,thediscoveryinLincolnofasmallboynamedHughatthebottomofawellsawninetyJewsarrestedforthemurderontheordersofthekinghimself.Eighteenofthemwerehanged.Themurderedboywashailedasamartyr.ThatthepapacypointedlyrefusedtoconfirmthiscanonisationdidlittletocheckthegrowthofthecultofLittleSaintHugh.