The White House is staying out of the debate over Sarah Palin’s claim that her critics engaged in “blood libel” by criticizing her after Saturday’s attack by a lone gunman in Tucson, Ariz.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs declined comment Thursday. He told reporters “there are plenty of people that can render opinions on that,” but he says he won’t be one of them.

Palin critics have said her use of cross-hairs on maps of political districts and slogans such as “Don’t retreat, reload” create a poisonous atmosphere that sets the stage for violence. There is no publicly known evidence that the shooter in Arizona was influenced by Palin or by conservative imagery.

Palin rebuked her critics with a term — “blood libel” — that is associated with centuries-old claims that Jews ritualistically killed Christian children.