It’s a story all too familiar from European history, from 12th-century England to 20th-century Russia: a non-Jewish child goes missing or is found dead, and what is in fact a tragic accident is blamed on the Jews. Mob violence ensues. A week ago, this familiar pattern repeated itself when an eight-year-old Arab boy went missing in Jerusalem. The next day he was found dead, apparently having drowned in a pond. But by that time, rumors had spread—with help from Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib—that Jews had kidnapped and murdered him. Aaron Kliegman writes:

Acting on this unsubstantiated claim, Palestinians searching for the boy marched toward a nearby Jewish neighborhood, believing its residents had kidnapped him. Demonstrators threw rocks at police, who blocked the mob from entering the neighborhood. Ultimately, twelve people were injured and three protesters arrested.

The rumors of kidnap and murder spread on social media. A Twitter account named “Real Seif Bitar” tweeted that Abu Ramila was “kidnapped and executed” by a “herd of violent Israeli settlers,” who assaulted him and threw his body in a well. The Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi retweeted these allegations. . . . And then, Rashida Tlaib retweeted Ashrawi, sharing the vicious lies with her nearly one million followers.

Once authorities concluded the boy had likely slipped and drowned, . . . Tlaib deleted her retweet. But she never apologized, and despite her self-serving acknowledgement a few days later, her followers may still think Jews murdered Abu Ramila.

Whether it’s Israelis supposedly wantonly murdering Palestinian children or medieval Jews drinking the blood of Christian children—the effect of these libels is the same: poisoning public opinion against the Jewish people and stoking the oldest hatred. And while Tlaib may believe she is speaking truth to power when she makes false claims about Israel and Jews, responsible people in her party must hold her accountable for spreading misinformation and propping up illegitimate claims without scrutiny.

For some time, opponents of U.S support for Israel have been urging the White House to end the war in Gaza, or simply calling for a ceasefire. Douglas Feith and Lewis Libby consider what such a result would actually entail:

Ending the war immediately would allow Hamas to survive and retain military and governing power. Leaving it in the area containing the Sinai-Gaza smuggling routes would ensure that Hamas can rearm. This is why Hamas leaders now plead for a ceasefire. A ceasefire will provide some relief for Gazans today, but a prolonged ceasefire will preserve Hamas’s bloody oppression of Gaza and make future wars with Israel inevitable.

For most Gazans, even when there is no hot war, Hamas’s dictatorship is a nightmarish tyranny. Hamas rule features the torture and murder of regime opponents, official corruption, extremist indoctrination of children, and misery for the population in general. Hamas diverts foreign aid and other resources from proper uses; instead of improving life for the mass of the people, it uses the funds to fight against Palestinians and Israelis.

Moreover, a Hamas-affiliated website warned Gazans last month against cooperating with Israel in securing and delivering the truckloads of aid flowing into the Strip. It promised to deal with those who do with “an iron fist.” In other words, if Hamas remains in power, it will begin torturing, imprisoning, or murdering those it deems collaborators the moment the war ends. Thereafter, Hamas will begin planning its next attack on Israel:

Hamas’s goals are to overshadow the Palestinian Authority, win control of the West Bank, and establish Hamas leadership over the Palestinian revolution. Hamas’s ultimate aim is to spark a regional war to obliterate Israel and, as Hamas leaders steadfastly maintain, fulfill a Quranic vision of killing all Jews.

Hamas planned for corpses of Palestinian babies and mothers to serve as the mainspring of its October 7 war plan. Hamas calculated it could survive a war against a superior Israeli force and energize enemies of Israel around the world. The key to both aims was arranging for grievous Palestinian civilian losses. . . . That element of Hamas’s war plan is working impressively.