The mayor of Norwich has issued an apology to the British city’s Jewish community for a 12th century blood libel involving accusations of the murder of a boy, the UK Jewish News reported.
The charge of Jewish responsibility for the death, which is thought to have originated with a Monk who made the spurious claim without any evidence, led to a pogrom that killed 17 members of the Jewish community in Norwich in 1144.
After the community was falsely blamed for killing 12-year-old William that year – England’s first recorded blood libel – 17 local Jews were murdered in retaliation, including 11 children, according to archaeological evidence uncovered in 2004.
“We apportion blame for any harms and seek to punish those who are not like us; those who do and say things differently to the way that we say or do things,” Mayor Dr. Kevin Maguire said. “Medieval Norwich blamed the Jews and we see the horrendous events that followed.”
“For me, the answer is to say ‘no more’ and to work for Norwich to be free of antisemitism – and to counter the lies told blatantly by those who would wish to foment hate,” he added.
His apology took place after he attended a seder this Passover.