Damascus Affair blood libel against the Jews of Damascus

Background. In February 1840, Damascus was part of the Ottoman Empire. The disappearance of Father Thomas, an Italian monk, and his servant Ibrahim Amrah in the Jewish quarter led to accusations of ritual murder. The blood libel, rooted in medieval Europe, alleged that Jews used Christian blood for baking matzo. This accusation was supported by the French consul, Ulysse de Ratti-Menton, who favored Christian merchants over Jewish counterparts.

Persecution and Torture. Following the disappearance, the Jewish community was accused of murder. The French consul ordered an investigation, leading to the imprisonment and torture of Jewish notables. A barber named Negrin confessed under torture, implicating seven other men, including members of the Farḥī family. Five of these prisoners also confessed. Authorities seized sixty-three Jewish children as hostages to force mothers to reveal the location of the alleged blood.

International Response. News of the affair spread across the Middle East and Europe. In November 1840, Sultan Abdülmecid I issued a firmān denouncing the blood libel, stating the Jewish nation's innocence. The incident spurred political mobilization among American Jews, who protested in six cities. This event marked the first time American Jews organized politically to help Diaspora Jewry, influencing global Jewish diplomacy and the development of the modern Jewish press.

Legacy and Later References. The Damascus Affair is illustrative of tensions between Jewish and Christian populations in Syria. In 1983, Syrian Minister of Defense Mustafa Tlass published a book repeating the blood libel accusations. The incident was referenced in a 2003 Syrian TV series and a 2007 Lebanese interview. These later references demonstrate the enduring impact of the 1840 accusations on antisemitic narratives.