Antisemitic lecturer promotes ‘blood libel’ in speech at UK university

A speaker invited by Students for Justice in Palestine claimed Jews ritually murder Christians to obtain their blood for religious rites.

By World Israel News Staff

A British university has reported a guest lecturer to police after she gave a talk promoting an ancient blood libel alleging that Jews murder Christians and bake their blood into bread.

Dr. Samar Maqusi, described by UK media as an American academic, was invited to speak at University College London (UCL) by the anti-Israel organization Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

During her lecture, Maqusi, a researcher at UCL, repeated a false claim that Jews murdered a Christian monk in 19th century Syria to use his blood for matzah, the traditional unleavened bread eaten during Passover.

According to Maqusi, the monk was “found murdered, and a group of Jews who lived in Syria admitted to kidnapping him and murdering him to get drops of blood for making the holy bread.”

Maqusi failed to note that the Jews only confessed after a long period of torture and that their alleged admission of guilt is highly dubious.

The baseless allegation — part of the long-debunked blood libel that Jews allegedly use Christian blood for ritual purposes — has historically incited violence and murder of Jews across the Middle East and Europe.

Referring to the Passover holiday, Maqusi claimed that “during this feast, they make these special pancakes or bread,” adding that “part of the holy ceremony is that drops of blood from someone who’s not Jewish… has to be mixed in that bread.”

Maqusi, a former UNRWA employee, urged students to “investigate” allegations of Jews ritually murdering Christians and told them to “draw your own narrative.”

She then expanded on her claims, alleging that the “media and financial structure of the world is controlled by Zionists.”

UCL President Dr. Michael Spence condemned the remarks, saying he was “utterly appalled by these heinous antisemitic comments.” The institution banned Maqusi from campus and reported her to police, he said.

He confirmed that SJP, which hosted the event, has been banned from holding further activities on campus until an investigation concludes.

“Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our university,” Spence said, offering his “unequivocal apology to all Jewish students, staff, alumni, and the wider community that these words were uttered at UCL.”