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A former Hamas official, Mustafa al-Lidawi, accused Jews of using the blood of non-Jews to prepare pastries for Purim on Tuesday, the day before the Jewish holiday.In an article that was published in the independent Palestinian Ma'an News Agency, al-Lidawi said that "[Purim] is the same holiday that the people of Europe hated and detested [and because of it] wished that the Jews would leave their countries so they could be saved from their wickedness."This is because the Jews who lived in Europe would always bake a large pastry on the occasion of the holiday, and everyone would eat it. However, this pastry was mixed with the blood of a victim they chose from among those who were not Jews. Most of the time the victim was a little boy," he continued."Because of this, the European peoples loathed the presence of the Jews in their countries and longed for them to leave. For they were the reason for every despicable deed, the mechanism for the commission of every crime, and the source of all social and economic corruption," the article, translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), asserted.Drawing parallels between the author's version of history and the modern Palestinian struggle, he emphasized that "This Jewish mentality and this ancient nature [of the Jews] have not changed. For they fashioned their joy from the blood of others, hold their celebrations at the expense of the sighs and groans of the victims who they tortured, and base their happiness on the sorrow of others."They don't mind robbing happiness from its owners and erasing the smile from the faces of the women and children whom they deprive of the sacred right to live, and whom they rob of their opportunity to rejoice, to be happy, and to live."Al-Lidawi is well-known for his blatantly antisemitic views. Five years ago, he published a similar article concerning Passover in which he claimed the Passover matzah was customarily prepared with the blood of a Christian child."The Jewish Passover has always been accompanied by suffering and pain… When the Jews began celebrating their holidays, blood would begin to flow [...] For the Jews always made sure to hunt down a pure and innocent Christian child, who had not tasted wine and whose blood had never been contaminated with impurity. They would take him to the altar in their temple, where they would stab him with knives [...] Then they would mix the blood into some dough [and bake a matza] cake."Al-Lidawi's article came as a response to the routine four-day closure of the West Bank and Gaza which went into effect on Tuesday morning, as has become customary prior to all major Jewish holidays."The Palestinians hate and fear the Jewish holidays... They feel that these holidays are revenge against them, or a hex they have been cursed with. For the Jews are happy then, celebrating and preparing decorations and rituals, but the Palestinians are tortured during these times to the same extent. They are under siege, they are hampered, there is a total closure in the areas [where they live]," he stressed.The routine closures of the Palestinian areas are enacted by the IDF in order to counter an uptick in tensions and violence, often occurring during the holidays, however, they also negatively affect tens of thousands of Palestinians who work legally inside Israel on a daily basis.