Rhodes blood libel against the Jews of Rhodes
- When
- 1840
- Where
- Rhodes
- Episodes
- 5
The Rhodes blood libel occurred in 1840 when the Greek Orthodox community accused Jews on the island of ritual murder following the disappearance of a Christian boy. The Ottoman governor initially supported the charge, breaking with prior Ottoman denials. European consuls initially backed the libel, but diplomatic pressure and investigations eventually established the innocence of the Jewish community, leading to a formal denunciation by the Ottoman sultan.
Episodes
- Governor Supports Accusation
The Ottoman governor of Rhodes broke with tradition and supported the ritual murder charge against the Jewish community.
- Appeal to Constantinople
The Jewish community of Rhodes appealed for help from the Jewish community in Constantinople, who forwarded the appeal to European governments.
- Disappearance of Christian Boy
A boy from a Greek Orthodox family in Rhodes went for a walk and did not return, sparking accusations against the Jewish community.
- Investigation Establishes Innocence
In July 1840, an investigation established the innocence of the Jewish community in Rhodes.
- Sultan Decrees Libel False
In November 1840, the Ottoman sultan issued a decree denouncing the blood libel as false, citing the judgment in the Rhodes case.
Background and detail
Diplomatic Response. Initially, consuls from several European countries supported the libel, though some later shifted to support the Jewish community. The Jewish community of Rhodes appealed to Constantinople, which forwarded the request to European governments. Metternich instructed ambassadors to mediate, noting the absurdity of the accusations. Lord Palmerston called the libel a calumny and requested a strict inquiry into the atrocities and the instigation by Christians and consuls.
Resolution. In July 1840, an investigation established the innocence of the Jewish community in Rhodes. In November, the Ottoman sultan issued a decree denouncing the blood libel as false. This decree cited the judgment in the Rhodes case, stating that examinations of Jewish beliefs and religious books demonstrated the charges were pure calumny. The Damascus Affair is treated as a separate event.
People involved
- Ottoman governor of Rhodes · Official who supported the ritual murder charge
- Lord Palmerston · British Foreign Secretary who called the libel a calumny
- Metternich · Austrian Chancellor who instructed ambassadors to mediate
- Ottoman Sultan · Issued the decree denouncing the blood libel
Sources
- Rhodes blood libel Wikipedia, revision of 2026-05-07
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.