JERUSALEM [JTA] — Jewish groups have denounced a cartoon by a prize-winning political cartoonist as anti-Semitic.
Pat Oliphant's cartoon, published Wednesday, shows a headless figure goose-stepping while pushing a large Star of David with fangs and pursuing a tiny woman carrying a child labeled “Gaza.” The syndicated cartoon appeared in newspapers around the world.
Jewish Groups Call Oliphant Cartoon ‘anti-Semitic’
JERUSALEM [JTA] — Jewish groups have denounced a cartoon by a prize-winning political cartoonist as anti-Semitic.
Pat Oliphant’s cartoon, published Wednesday, shows a headless figure goose-stepping while pushing a large Star of David with fangs and pursuing a tiny woman carrying a child labeled “Gaza.” The syndicated cartoon appeared in newspapers around the world.
“Pat Oliphant’s outlandish and offensive use of the Star of David in combination with Nazi-like imagery is hideously anti-Semitic,” Abraham Foxman, the Anti-Defamation League national director, said in a statement. “It employs Nazi imagery by portraying Israel as a jack-booted, goose-stepping headless apparition. The implication is of an Israeli policy without a head or a heart. ”
The Simon Wiesenthal Center said in a statement: “The imagery in this cartoon mimics the venomous anti-Semitic propaganda of the Nazi and Soviet eras. It is cartoons like this that inspired millions of people to hate in the 1930s and help set the stage for the Nazi genocide.”
The Wiesenthal Center called on online media to remove the cartoon from their Web sites.
Dan Huck
Mr. Oliphant is a friend of Israel and Jews.
I am a friend of Israelis and Jews, and a partisan for the state of Israel. But my manner is not “My country, right or wrong, my country” which to me is a thing that no patriot would think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying ‘My mother, drunk or sober.’“ To me the highest patriotism is to say ” “My country, right or wrong, When right, to be kept right; when wrong, to be put right.” To be loyal to the point of hiding (and hiding from) the truth is the highest disloyalty to a government founded on truth and high ideals.
As an American, this is what I believe. As a friend of Israel, I refuse to believe the Israelis and Jews I know and respect feel differently.
Dan Huck, Boston
Babushka
Pat Oliphant is NOT a friend of Israel or of Jews. A look through his gallery of cartoons for the past 20 years will prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt. This hideous cartoon is just one more of a large collection of hateful images.
Milhouse
Oliphant has been an open antisemite for at least 20 years that I can remember.
As far as Israel, right or wrong, I’m perfectly prepared to criticise Israel when she does something wrong. For instance, expelling the Jews from the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria was wrong. So was expelling the Jews from the Sinai peninsula 27 years ago. Sacrificing the lives of 23 soldiers by failing to bomb Jenin from the air, in a futile attempt to look good for the world media, was wrong. Banning R Meir Kahane HYD from running for the Knesset was wrong. Infringing people’s freedom of speech is wrong. Reviving the PLO by signing and implementing the Oslo accords was wrong. Releasing thousands of bloodthirsty terrorists in exchange for a handful of soldiers, or simply as “good will gestures” was wrong.
But as far as Israel’s relations with the Arabs is concerned, I’m willing to criticise Israel just as soon as she wrongs the Arabs in some way; to the best of my knowledge, in the past 61 years this has not yet happened once.
Gail Almr
As usual, the “Anti Semetic” accusation and all the typical hesteric reactions that are usually bundled with it is what anybody who dares criticise Israeli actions (by naming them for what they really are/were)gets from the “Israel is always right” camp. Unfortunately for Israel this time, its horrific crimes against civilians in Gaza can not be easily denied or justified as usual. Israeli soliders who participated in the those crimes just admitted that they killed civilians with no remorse.
Dot
That’s bull! Israeli Soldiers did not kill civilians with no remorse…if anything the Israeli soldiers tried to protect the civilians but the terrorists have pushed their OWN civilians into the line of fire!!…people like you haven’t got a freaking clue!
and that drawing WAS Anti Semetic! and totally disgusting…this is why we are hated…because we are Jewish…I never heard any hatred statements against the British when they bombed other countries for no reason what so ever or when they’ve taken India, Australia and Canada amongst other countries…and what about the US did they not go into Iraq and killed civilians?! how come they’re not being judged for war crimes?!…I’ll tell you why, cuz christians can do no wrong…neither can muslims obviously…They’ve been bombing the South of Israel for the past 8 years and killed civilians and what not, but that’s ok…I guess Israel should’ve have just left them well alone right? WRONG – if this would’ve happened to America or Britain they would have not waited 8 years to take action…they’ve would’ve taken action from the first bombing…
pgemosa
The cartoon isn’t anti-semitic because it is criticizing Israel. The reason is the specific imagery used, specifically, the Israelis/Jews = Nazis implication. Which is also (a) wrong / stupid / childish, and (2) disgusting.