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The Dangerous Legacy of the 1840 ‘Damascus Affair’ Blood Libel (PART TWO)
Smoke rises from a building after strikes at Syria’s defense ministry in Damascus, Syria, July 16, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Part One of this article appeared here.
Worldwide Reaction and Coordinated Jewish Response
Western Jews in Europe and America were incensed at what was happening in Damascus. Europeans and American Jews lobbied their governments to intercede on behalf of the Jews in Damascus. In what was then an entirely novel approach, 15,000 Jews in six American cities gathered and protested on behalf of their fellow Jews in Syria.
In response to the advocacy, government leaders condemned the libel and attempted to intervene on behalf of the accused Jews. Among them were Queen Victoria, Lord Henry Palmerston, US Secretary of State John Forsyth, and, as previously mentioned, Klemens von Metternich of Austria.
Among the Jews who were advocating on behalf of the Damascus Jews, Sir Moses Montefiore stood out.
He, along with French lawyer and future French Justice Minister Adolphe Cremieux, Louis Loewe, and Solomon Munk, traveled as a delegation to Egypt to appeal to Muhammad Ali. They requested that the investigation be transferred to Egyptian or European judges to consider the case. Their request was denied, but as a result, Muhammad Ali decided instead to have the Jews released without acquitting them. The liberation order was issued on August 28, 1840. The prisoners who had survived the investigation were freed.
Seeing that the charges would not be dropped and the libel would continue, Montefiore and Cremieux chose to turn to Sultan Abdul Mejid of the Ottoman Empire, since he was the actual leader over the region, albeit largely powerless. They asked the Sultan to issue a decree proclaiming blood libels as false and prohibiting prosecuting Jews based on such accusations.
The Sultan acquiesced and issued his ruling on November 6, 1840. In a noteworthy act, he condemned the blood libel, stating clearly that it was utterly false and that “Muslim theologians had examined Jewish religious books and found that the Jews are strongly prohibited not only from using human blood but even from consuming that of animals. It therefore follows that the charges made against them, and their religion, are nothing but pure calumny.”
Nevertheless, for years to come, and on antisemitic websites until today, the Catholics of Damascus would continue to tell the story of the friar murdered by Jews for his blood, and that the Jews had only been let free due to the influence of powerful Jews from other countries.
What was France Thinking?
In the aftermath of the Damascus Affair, numerous questions arose. How could France, a country that gave civil equality to the Jews in 1791 and gave its Jewish population the most legal rights, openly support the patently false blood libel accusation and even allow torture to be used to extort confessions?
Most historians conclude that the answer was national self-interest. France’s leaders saw it as beneficial to maintain their foothold in Syria, and felt that supporting the accusers against the Jews would work for them. By the same token, countries hostile to France seized the opportunity to denounce France for its actions, as they sought to increase their control in the Middle East and diminish French influence there. So, Metternich, not known to be a friend of the Jews, denounced the blood libel charges, as did the leaders of Great Britain.
The Damascus Blood Libel, which might otherwise have passed unnoticed in Europe, garnered international attention because of the rivalry of Europe’s great powers in the Middle East.
The Jewish Reaction
The Damascus Affair has been described as a turning point in modern Jewish history, particularly for French Jews, who were among the most vocal supporters that traditional Jewish nationalism was a thing of the past. They were patriotic citizens for whom religion was a private matter, if it was relevant at all.
Yet, when they were exposed to the antisemitism that France displayed in the Damascus Affair, French Jews were completely shaken up. In fact, all of world Jewry was shocked that the blood libel accusation — a throwback to the antisemitism of the Dark Ages — was initially accepted as fact by almost the entire press in Europe. How could it be that educated citizens and modern leaders could believe and support this baseless and ridiculous accusation? No reassuring answer was forthcoming.
In an act that would reverberate for the next two centuries, in 1846, a two-volume book was published in Paris, written by Achille Laurent (a pseudonym), Relation historique des affaires de Syrie depuis 1840 jusqu’en 1842. It claimed to document the complete protocols of the investigation in Damascus, yet completely omitted any mention of the extensive use of torture and only focused on the Jews as murderers, and that the blood libel was a proven fact.
These protocols were published in German, Italian, Arabic, and Russian in the years and decades to come. This book allowed antisemites to “prove” that the murder accusation had been proven and documented, but that the Jews were released despite their guilt.
In fact, Russian coverage of the Damascus Affair in the media is seen as one of the causes that led to the pogroms of the 1890s. Unfortunately, these protocols continue to be published and publicized, particularly in the Arab-language media.
One of the end results of the Damascus Affair was its awakening of Jewish awareness for the need to cooperate to address Jewish needs and respond to charges and attacks towards Jews around the world. In the following decades, for the first time in modern history, multiple such organizations would form to address these concerns.
One Nation
The subsequent blood libel that made international news was that of Menachem Mendel Beilis in Russia in 1911. The lawyer who headed the defense team, the legendary Oscar Gruzenberg, was sure that the prosecution’s attack would take quotes out of context from the Talmud and use them to accuse the Jews. He had Rabbi Mazeh, Chief Rabbi of Moscow, head a rabbinic advisory team for the defense and prepare answers to the inevitable questions. As Gruzenberg had predicted, at the trial the prosecution quoted the Talmudic statement in Tractate Yevamos 61a, “You (the Jewish people) are called “Adam” (Man), and the other nations are not called “Adam” (Man).”
The prosecutors demanded, “How could the Jews claim only they are called man, and the other nations are not called man?! It must mean that they view non-Jews as subhuman!”
The defense had an answer prepared, provided by Rabbi Meir Shapiro, who was already renowned as a brilliant and eloquent leader of Polish Jewry. He explained that the quote reflects an essential characteristic of the Jews and was not intended an insult to the other nations.
Rabbi Shapiro explained that the Talmud (Shavous 39) teaches that “Kol Yisrael areivim zeh lazeh,” meaning all Jews are responsible for one another. He elaborated that in the court, the fate of a single Jew — Mendel Beilis — was being decided, yet the judgment touched Jewish people all over the world.
Rabbi Shapiro directed the defense team to ask the judge, “If an Italian citizen was arrested in Poland or a Frenchman in Germany, would all of Italy or all of France be praying on his behalf and advocating for his acquittal? Would Italians or Frenchmen all over the world be constantly worried about him and awaiting news of his release? Of course not. Yet, when one Jew in Russia is falsely accused of murder, the entire Jewish nation stands with him, because we are truly one. The Talmud says Jews are called “Adam,” because “Adam” shows the unity of the Jewish nation. We are one, a single unit, just as Adam was one man. The word “Adam” in Hebrew has no plural, and that is why it represents the Jewish people, who are one, and this pronoun is not used to identify other nations, as the Talmud stated.”
This answer was understood, even by the accusers. This message continues to serve as a beacon of light for the connection Jews share with one another. In good times and bad, the Jewish People are one.
Rabbi Menachem Levine is the CEO of JDBY-YTT, the largest Jewish school in the Midwest. He served as Rabbi of Congregation Am Echad in San Jose, CA from 2007 – 2020. He is a popular speaker and has written for numerous publications. Rabbi Levine’s personal website is https://thinktorah.org. A version of this article was first published at: https://aish.com/the-damascus-affair/
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Israel’s Arkia Forges Deal With JetBlue on Flight Connections in US
A JetBlue Airways jet comes in for a landing at Laguardia Airport in New York City, New York, US, Jan. 11, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Mike Segar
Israel’s Arkia Airlines said on Thursday it signed a deal with low-cost US carrier JetBlue Airways that would allow its customers to connect on JetBlue flights in the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean.
Privately held Arkia mainly flies domestically and to Europe, but it launched flights from Tel Aviv to New York a year ago in competition with its larger rival and flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines.
Under the so-called interline agreement, Arkia‘s flight schedule of up to seven weekly non-stop flights to JFK Airport will be linked with JetBlue‘s destination network.
“This agreement adds a significant layer to strengthening Arkia‘s long-haul operations and expanding the range of services for customers travelling to North America,” said Arkia CEO Oz Berlowitz.
Dave Jehn, a vice president at JetBlue, the sixth-largest airline in the United States, said the new partnership with Arkia “allows us to expand our global reach and provides customers with a wider range of destinations and seamless connections between flights.”
El Al also has an interline agreement with JetBlue but a codeshare deal between the airlines ended in October.
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Jewish cuisine in Warsaw, 1938
ס׳איז לעצטנס אַרויס אַ העברעיִשע איבערזעצונג פֿון בני מערס בוך וועגן דעם פֿאַר־מלמהדיקן ייִדישן כאַראַקטער פֿון סמאָטשע־גאַס אין וואַרשע. דאָס נײַע בוך, „מורה דרך: ורשה היהודית 1938“, דינט ווי אַ מין וועגווײַזער פֿאַר ישׂראלדיקע לייענער פֿון יענעם באַרימטן ייִדישן קוואַרטאַל, באַטאָנענדיק זײַנע באַזונדערע מנהגים, מאכלים, לשון, ליטעראַטור, קולטור און רעליגיע. קיין שום פּרט אין בוך איז נישט אויסגעטראַכט – אַ חוץ דעם וואָס דער וועגווײַזער אַליין איז געשריבן געוואָרן הײַנט, און נישט אין 1938. אָט איז אַ טייל פֿון דעם קאַפּיטל וועגן דער ייִדישער קיך אין וואַרשע.
אינעם ייִדישן קוואַרטאַל פֿון וואַרשע געפֿינען זיך נישט קיין באַזונדערע מאכלים. די ייִדן וואָס זײַנען אַהין געקומען האָבן מיטגעבראַכט זייערע אייגענע שפּײַזן, און דערפֿאַר קאָן מען דאָ עסן אַלץ, הכּל-בכּל. נישט אומזיסט האָבן מיר אַ שם פֿון „וואַרשעווער פֿרעסערס“, און אויך איר, טײַערע געסט, וועט נישט אַרויס חלילה הונגעריקע.
טרינקען טרינקט מען דאָ קודם-כּל די בײַערישע ביר „האָבערבוש און שילע“ (וואָס ווערט פּראָדוצירט נישט ווײַט פֿון דער „גמינע“ — דאָס קהילה-הויז — אויף גזשיבאָווסקע גאַס), און דערצו טרינקט מען פֿאַרשיידענע וואָדקעס און ספּירט. לשם מצוות-אכילה עסט מען דערבײַ הערינג מיט ציבעלע, האַרטע אייער, אייער-קיכלעך (זיסע אָדער געזאַלצענע), וואַסער-פּלעצלעך, געפֿעפֿערטע אַרבעס (געלע) און אַ שטיקל פּינטאָשוו קעז. אין די קאָנדיטערײַען און קאַפֿעען גיט מען קרעם-, שאָקאָלאַדע- און עפּל-טשאַסטקעס (קוכנס), ווי אויך לעקעך.
אונדזער קיך האָט אַ שם געמאַכט מיט אירע שבתדיקע און יום-טובֿדיקע דעליקאַטעסן. אויפֿן וואַרשעווער שבתדיקן טיש וועט איר געפֿינען יויך, גענדז אָדער בעפֿשטיק, געפֿילטע פֿיש (כאָטש מיר האָבן ליב אויך ליטוואַקעס, דאָ זײַנען זיי צימעס זיס). שבת אין דער פֿרי עסט מען טשאָלנט (ד״ה טשונט, אויף אונדזער לשון), קישקע און פֿאַרשיידענע קוגלען און קאָמפּאָטן.
יעדן יום-טובֿ האָט זײַנע אייגענע מאכלים. פּורים, למשל, עסט מען יויך מיט קרעפּלעך, געפֿילטע פֿיש, אייער-חלה, קיכלעך פֿון האָניק און צימרינג, מאַנדלען-קיכלעך, המן־טאַשן, אונגערישן ווײַן און מעד. פּסח עסט מען זיסע מצה-מעל-קיכלעך געטונקען אין ווײַן.
פֿײַנשמעקערס וועלן דאָ אויך געפֿינען די פֿראַנצויזישע קיך מיט אַ ייִדישן טעם. אין אונדזער רעפּרעזענטאַטיווסטן קרוין־רעסטאָראַן, „פּיקאַדילי“, וואָס געפֿינט זיך אויף ביעלאַנסקע 5 (טעל׳ 23-116), לעבן טעאַטער נאָוואָשטשי, דערלאַנגט מען אַ גענדזענעם לעבער, געפֿילטע פּאָמידאָרן, געגליווערטן קאַרפּ, שוואַרצן און רויטן קאַוויאַר (פֿון דרײַ זלאָטעס אַ מיטאָג). אין די מער פּאָפּולערע רעסטאָראַנען (ווי די פֿון י’ עלקענבוים אויף סמאָטשע 27, טעל׳ 77-162) באַקומט איר פֿיש מיט קליסקעלעך, וועמפּלעך מיט קישקע, קרופּניק מיט פֿלייש, קאָטלעטן, זופּן, קלאָפּסקאַלעך מיט פֿערפֿל — און אַלץ פֿאַר איין זלאָטע, מער אָדער ווייניקער. אויך די רעסטאָראַנען „יאַגאָדע“ (טווואַרדע 26, טעל׳ 34-205), „A la minute“, אויף דער שוויינטאָקזשיסקע־גאַס 43 43-341), יעקבֿ אַרבעס, נאַלעווקעס 9 – וועט אײַך גאָרנישט שאַטן.
שפּאָרעוודיקע טוריסטן וועלן הנאה האָבן פֿון פֿאַרשיידענע מיטאָגן וואָס ווערן פֿאַרקויפֿט אין פּריוואַטע דירות. געוויינטלעך וועט איר נישט זען קיין שום שילד; די אינפֿאָרמאַציע געפֿינט זיך אין דער צײַטונג „אונזער עקספּרעס“ אָדער אין די מעלדונגען וואָס ווערן געטיילט צו די פֿאַרבײַגייערס. למשל: אַ מיטאָג פֿון פֿיר שפּײַזן מיט קאָמפּאָט קאָסט דאָ נאָר זיבעציק גראָשן (זאַמענהאָף 26, וו. 11).
די וואַרשעווער אָרעמעלייט עסן נעבעך הערינג, אָדער אַפֿילו שילאַווקעס — פּיצלדיקע גערויכערטע פֿיש. שילאַווקעס קאָסטן אַ פּאָר גראָשן, און מע פֿאַרקויפט זיי אין די הויפֿן (זומערצײַט פֿאַרקויפֿט מען אין די הויפֿן אויך פֿרוכטן און גרינס — בפֿרט אַרבוז און אוגערקעס). אויב איר בלײַבט נאָך הונגעריק מחמת חסרון-כּיס, קאָנט איר עסן „שיריים“ אין איינער פֿון די 400 וואַרשעווער שולן און בתּי-מדרשים.
אויך וועגעטאַריער האָבן דאָ וואָס צו עסן. אין „יענע גאַסן“, די גויִשע וואַרשע, זײַנען פֿאַראַן צוויי וועגעטאַרישע רעסטאָראַנען, אָבער אין דער אמתן זײַנען מיר גיכער מקנא די ייִדישע וועגעטאַרישע רעסטאָראַנען אין לאָדזש און ווילנע („וועגאַ“ און פֿאַני לעוואַנדאָס רעסטאָראַן).
ווי עס איז, וועט איר זען און הערן די בייגעלעך־הענדלערס: ייִנגלעך און מיידלעך, און אַמאָל אויך זייערע מאַמעס און טאַטעס וואָס האָבן נישט קיין אַנדערע ברירה ווי אַרויסצוגיין טאָג און נאַכט אין די גאַסן און פֿאַרקויפֿן צוויי ביז פֿינף בייגעלעך פֿאַר צען גראָשן. זײַט אַזוי גוט און קויפֿט-זשע בייגעלעך, איידער די פּאָליציי וועט קאָנפֿיסקירן זייערע סחורה. אין די קריזיס-יאָרן האָבן אַ סך סוחרים באַנקראָטירט, און זייערע קראָמען זײַנען פֿאַרוואַנדלט געוואָרן אין געשעפֿטן פֿון סאָדע-וואַסער אָדער לאָדעס — קויפֿט זשע אויך פֿון זיי.
די וואַרשעווער ייִדן האָבן ליב צו טרינקן טיי – בפֿרט מיט קאַנדל-צוקער און ציטרין, און אַ טיי פֿון אַ גרויסן סאַמאָוואַר איז ממש אַן עונג-שבת. נישט ווייניקער האָבן מיר ליב צו טרינקען קאַווע און זיצן אין קאַפֿעען. „לעצטנס האָט זיך דער מנהג צו גיין אין קאַוויאַרניעס איבערהויפּט פֿאַרשפּרייט אויך בײַ פּוילישע ייִדן,“ שרײַבט ד״ר א. גליקסמאַן, „און פֿיל אַזעלכע ייִדן, וואָס פֿלעגן אין אַמאָליקע צײַטן גיין בטלען אין בית-מדרש — בטלען איצט אין קאַוויאַרניע אויף אַ ציוויליזירטן אופֿן.“(„היינטיגע נייעס“, 13.1.1936).
די קאַוויאַרניעס פֿון דער גוייִשער וואַרשע זײַנען שיין און עלעגאַנט ווי אין אַנדערע גרויסע שטעט אין אייראָפּע. זיי זײַנען קלאַסישע אָדער מאָדערנע, און אויך די קליענטן זײַנען שיינע און עלעגאַנטע. איין חסרון נאָר: זיי האָבן נישט אַזוי ליב אַז מע רעדט ייִדיש, און בפֿרט אויף אַ קול. איז וואָס? איר האָט דאָך צענדליקער ייִדישע קאַפֿעען, ווי למשל די דרײַ קאַפֿע-קאָנדיטאָרײַען פֿון די ברידער סטודניאַ; די קאָנדיטערײַ בומאָוויטש (רינקאָווע 11, טעל׳ 66-405), אָדער פֿלידערבוים (טוואַרדע 26). זיי זײַנען אפֿשר נישט אַזוי פּרעכטיק ווי „אַדריִאַ“ אָדער „בריסטאָל“, אָבער איר וועט זיך דאָרטן פֿילן אין דער היים. ווי זאָגט מען: „וואָס דאַרפֿסטו ריידן גויִיש, מע זאָל זען אַז דו ביסט אַ ייִד?“ אין אונדזערע קאַפֿעען דערלאַנגט מען נישט נאָר פֿריש געבעקס, נאָר אויך לײַכטע מאכלים, ווי למשל הערינג אין אַ זעמעלע פּוטער.
דאָס ייִדישע וואַרשע בענקט אַ ביסל נאָך די אַמאָליקע ליטעראַרישע קאַפֿעען, ווי למשל יחזקאל קאָטיקס קאַוויאַרניע אויף די נאַלעווקעס, וואָס שלום עליכם האָט פֿאַראייביקט אין זײַן „מנחם-מענדל“. אָבער אויך הײַנט צו טאָג האָבן מיר אַ ליטעראַרישן אָלימפּוס: דאָס איז דער בופֿעט בײַ דעם ליטעראַרישן פֿאַראיין, אויף טלאָמאַצקע 13. און וואָס איז שלעכט מיט טרינקען סתּם אַ קאַווע אין רובענטשיק-קאַפֿע, וואָס געפֿינט זיך אין מיטן דער ייִדישער גאָרטן, ד״ה קראַשינסקיס פּאַרק?
****
לאָמיר פֿאַרענדיקן מיט אַ תּפֿילה פֿון אַ וואַרשעווער ייִדענע, אַז דאָס קוגל זאָל איר געראָטן (אויף איר אייגן לשון):
קיגל קיגל יאַך מאַך דיך געטרײַ,
געטרײַ וועל יאַך דיך מאַכן,
מע זאָל אויס מיר נישט לאַכן.
אין אויוון זאָלסטע שטײַן,
אין מויל זאָלסטע צעגײַן,
גיט זאָלסט זײַן ווי יעקבֿ
און רויט ווי עשׂו.
The post Jewish cuisine in Warsaw, 1938 appeared first on The Forward.
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JD Vance continues to minimize right-wing antisemitism as fringe influencers gain ground
(JTA) — Vice President JD Vance again downplayed the idea that conservatives should safeguard their ranks against antisemitism, a week after his ally Tucker Carlson hosted yet another antisemitic conspiracy theorist on his web show.
Vance’s latest brief comments, made Tuesday during an interview with conservative radio host and CNN pundit Scott Jennings, came in response to Jennings asking, “Does the conservative movement need to warehouse anybody out there espousing antisemitism in any way?”
“No it doesn’t, Scott,” the vice president replied, toward the end of their interview.
Vance continued by asserting that conservatives, drawing on Christian influences, were welcoming of all backgrounds.
“I think we need to reject all forms of ethnic hatred, whether it’s antisemitism, anti-Black hatred, anti-white hatred,” he said. “And I think that’s one of the great things about the conservative coalition, is that we are, I think, fundamentally rooted in the Christian principles that founded the United States of America.”
He added, “And one of those very important principles is that we judge people as individuals. Every person is made in the image of God. You judge them by what they do, not by what ethnic group they belong to.”
Vance’s comments follow a series of similar remarks by the vice president over the past month as major right-wing groups such as Turning Point USA and the Heritage Foundation grapple with the growing influence of Nick Fuentes and other openly antisemitic forces. Vance has also indicated his own skepticism in the U.S.-Israel relationship and stated that stopping immigration is the best approach to fighting antisemitism.
One Jewish conservative analyst still employed with Heritage — after a slew of employees left for a competing group — criticized Vance’s latest comments.
“Need a better answer from @JDVance on why the conservative movement should not tolerate antisemitism than what is effectively the equivalent of @TheDemocrats’ ‘…and Islamophobia’ response,” Daniel Flesch, a Heritage policy analyst for the Middle East and North Africa, posted on the social network X.
Flesch referenced his contention that Democratic leaders’ stock answer to addressing antisemitism is that it must be paired with addressing Islamophobia, rather than treated as its own unique problem.
Among Jewish conservatives’ biggest areas of consternation within the party right now: Carlson, the media figure who has platformed Fuentes and other conspiracy theorists while also maintaining close ties with Turning Point, Heritage and Vance himself. This week in Israel’s Knesset, a lawmaker in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party denounced Carlson and fellow podcaster Candace Owens by name in an English-language speech.
Last week Carlson continued to fan the flames by hosting Ian Carroll, a conspiracy theorist who has proclaimed “Israel did 9/11”; that “Israel did their best to embellish and enflame the history books” on the Holocaust; and that sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was “working on behalf of Israel.”
Carroll has made inroads in the conservative media sphere for a while. He appeared on Joe Rogan’s mega-popular podcast last year and, in 2024, moderated a campaign event for then-presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., today President Donald Trump’s secretary of health and human services. Carroll’s appearance on Carlson’s show came after both Trump and Vance refused to denounce Carlson for his friendly interview with Fuentes last year.
In their Jan. 2 interview, Carroll and Carlson primarily discussed the 2017 mass shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas. Carroll shared numerous conspiracy theories about the events of that evening, during which the shooter also fired rounds at a jet fuel tank stored at a nearby airport.
“And then there’s things happening at the airport that are strange, that there’s some shooting happening at the airport. So it’s like, is this a gang war between the Italian mob and the Jewish mob? Is this a CIA operation that went wrong?” Carroll muses at one point. “Is this, like, a Mossad operation? Any of those things would need to fit the facts.”
Carroll continued, “In lieu of enough facts, you can try to fit a perpetrator to the facts and invent explanations that will work.”
Later in the interview, Carlson muses about Carroll directly to him, “I’ve never seen anybody come to prominence faster, ever, in our world. And that’s led to a lot of speculation that you’re, like, a CIA officer in disguise.”
Carroll then offers, “Or I’m like, Mossad.”
To which Carlson concludes, “My personal explanation is you’re just an amazing explainer and a diligent researcher, and you’re really interested in what’s true. And those are the three qualities that make a successful person in our world.”
The post JD Vance continues to minimize right-wing antisemitism as fringe influencers gain ground appeared first on The Forward.