The Anti-Defamation League, which was founded in 1913 “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all,” has been asked by a relative of its founder “to condemn Sarah Palin’s remarks this morning against the media, in conjunction with the Arizona Shootings.”
This morning, Palin released a video attempting to defend her previous actions, including the release last year of an inflammatory map with crosshairs targeting twenty House Democrats who voted for healthcare reform. That map has been called out worldwide as a possible incitement to Saturday’s massacre that left six dead and over a dozen more gravely injured, including Congresswoman Gabby Giffords.
Palin, like many on the Right, has been unwilling or unable to see the connection between her hate speech and the resulting violence.
Adding to Palin’s refusal to take responsibility were her words today about “blood libel.”
In today’s video, Palin says, “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.â€
Via  Wikipedia:
“Blood libel (also blood accusation refers to a false accusation or claim that religious minorities, almost always Jews, murder children to use their blood in certain aspects of their religious rituals and holidays. Historically, these claims have–alongside those of well poisoning and host desecration–been a major theme in European persecution of Jews.
“The libels typically allege that Jews require human blood for the baking of matzos for Passover. The accusations often assert that the blood of Christian children is especially coveted, and historically blood libel claims have often been made to account for otherwise unexplained deaths of children. In some cases, the alleged victim of human sacrifice has become venerated as a martyr, a holy figure around whom a martyr cult might arise. A few of these have been even canonized as saints.â€
In “Open Letter Sent to Anti Defamation League About Sarah Palin,” Geoff Livingston, an author, well-known blogger, and co-founder of communications consulting firm Zoetica, writes the following:
To Whom It May Concern:
I am the great grand nephew of Siegfried Livingston, your founder, and a blogger at geofflivingston.com. It’s my request as a descendant of Siegfried and as a Jew that the Anti Defamation League (ADL) take swift and prompt action to condemn Sarah Palin’s remarks this morning against the media, in conjunction with the Arizona Shootings.
In her video speech, Ms. Palin directly used the words “Blood Libel” in blaming the media for associations with her during the shooting aftermath. The ensuing wave of antisemitism caused the words “Jews” and “Blood Libel” to trend on Twitter for hours, tens of thousands of people associating Jewish people with drinking children’s blood. Further, the association with Jews running the media cannot be ignored. Ms. Palin continues to be irresponsible in her use of media to inspire hate. Today’s acts against the Jewish faith are no different. We must make a stand. You are the organization to do it. Please act swiftly.
Thank you,
Geoff
UPDATE: 2:20 PM:
That didn’t take long. Greg Sargent at The Plum Line publishes a statement from the Anti-Defamation League:
It was inappropriate at the outset to blame Sarah Palin and others for causing this tragedy or for being an accessory to murder. Palin has every right to defend herself against these kinds of attacks, and we agree with her that the best tradition in America is one of finding common ground despite our differences.
Still, we wish that Palin had not invoked the phrase “blood-libel” in reference to the actions of journalists and pundits in placing blame for the shooting in Tucson on others. While the term “blood-libel” has become part of the English parlance to refer to someone being falsely accused, we wish that Palin had used another phrase, instead of one so fraught with pain in Jewish history.
Sargent adds, “That’s not quite as strong as it might have been. It stops short of demanding that she retract the phrase or apologize for it, as the left-leaning group J-Street did this morning. But condemnation from the ADL could be enough to throw Palin back on the defensive.”
UPDATE: 2:00 PM:
While the ADF has not issued any public statement, other Jewish orgainzations already have.
The National Jewish Democratic Council: “Palin’s Incendiary ‘Blood Libel’ Reference: Wrong Time, Wrong Place, Wrong Always”
J Street: “J Street Responds to Palin’s “Blood Libel†Statement”
Jewish Funds for Justice: “JFSJ to Sarah Palin: Stop Fanning the Flames of Division”
For more, read Alex Seitz-Wald’s “Jewish Groups: ‘We Are Deeply Disturbed’ By Palin’s Use Of Anti-Semitic Term ‘Blood Libel,’ She Should Apologize” via Think Progress.