Latest Oliphant Cartoon Called "Hideously Anti-Semitic"

The Raw Story:

The latest cartoon by the most widely syndicated political cartoonist in the world has raised the ire of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which is dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism.

The ADL's director called the syndicated cartoon, published Wednesday and reprinted below, "hideously anti-Semitic."

Read the whole story: The Raw Story

Comments

[S1m0n]

Calling an attack on Israel anti-semitic is claiming that all diaspora jews - in fact, all of judaism - are identical with Israel. This is not the case, and big the lie is a pernicious one:

Because it is exactly the thinking of the racists who bomb a synogogue, spraypaint a tombstone or toss a brick through a store window in New York or Buenos Aires or Montreal to avenge something that happened in East Jerusalem.

And every time the ADL deliberately seeks to erase this distinction, exactly as the ADL's complaint in this issue does, they are endangering jews world-wide. For shame!

[MagisterLudi]

Letter from American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee to Oliphant's publisher.

Washington DC, January 13—Today the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) wrote to the San Francisco Chronicle and Universal Press Syndicate to communicate concern over racist depictions of Arabs in caricatures by Pat Oliphant.
In recent weeks, ADC received numerous complaints from readers and concerned citizens regarding Oliphant's cartoons.
http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=2415

[unscum]

The cartoon is not anti-semitic at all. However, Israel's apologist will certain contend that it is. What Israel did in the Gaza war was collective punishment, the same type of collective punishment the Nazi's wrought on jews, serbs, poles and a whole bunch of other people during WWII.

[barrycourage]

Punishment for what? Their existence?

This comparison of Israel to the Nazis is anti-Semitic. Jews did nothing but survive nearly 1700 years of persecution to serve Hitler's need for scapegoats and suffer the Holocaust.

Self-defense against feasors of terrorism and war, who are cowardly and nasty enough to use their own people as human shields, is not "punishment."

[Manchurian]

Aside from groundless accusations, the only documented case of using human shields during the Israeli attack on Gaza is of the Israelis using an 11-year-old Palestinian boy as a human shield.

[avocats]

That cartoon is not anti-Semitic. It is anti-Israeli, and Israel (the nation-state) deserves the heat for its shameful actions in Gaza. The WWII Holocaust is not an excuse for genocide on other populations.

[Palemoon]

Excellent post.

[3M Rocker]

indeed.

[SimJack]

Decisively well put!

[LincolnParkChicago]

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
Voltaire [François Marie Arouet] (1694–1778), French philosopher, author.


"All Americans.. need to watch what they say, watch what they do."
Ari Fleischer

[brooklyncitizen]

Well thankfully it is being printed here- anything remotely anti-Israel's govt is censored from our media outlets.

[Svendem]

It's not anti-semitic.
If the Star of David was a purely religious (or ethnic) symbol, then it could be. But when they decided to put it on the flag of Israel it became a political symbol as well, which makes it fair game for _political_ satire.

You can't have your cake and eat it too. Either you make Israel into a secular, multi-ethnic state, or you stop shouting 'anti-semitism' every time people criticize it.

[mooph]

Appropriate considering the latest news:

A soldier involved in Israel's recent military offensive in the Gaza Strip said in published reports Friday that the military's rabbinical staff distributed material characterizing the operation as a religious mission to "get rid of the gentiles who disturb us from conquering the holy land."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/20/AR2009032003463.html

[barrycourage]

Jews and Israel are not entitled to have their radical religious wingnuts?

It is unfortunate that they do but your implication is that all Israelis are a part of that fringe, when in fact several studies have shown that most Israelis are "secular" and not religious fanatics. The popular vote in the last election chose a moderate party to be in power but th the system--comparable to our electoral college system and the Supreme Court in 2000--installed the right wing faction.

Your application of a double-standard is anti-Semitic.

[MagisterLudi]

ADL issues a verbal protest and this is where it'll end.

Let us look at the peaceful faith protests against Danish cartoons;
Example 1:
"Last Saturday’s riots in Antwerp, when Moroccan “youths” went on the rampage in Antwerp’s historical center, destroying cars and beating up reporters... taking revenge over... drawings published more than four months ago in a Danish newspaper."
http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/816

At least five people have been ki lled in Afghanistan as protests against European cartoons swept across the country.
In Somalia, a teenage boy died after protesters attacked police.
Norway embassy in Damascus was set on fire.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4684652.stm
Etc.

[Palemoon]

And shortly after a certain country launched 2 wars, one in Lebanon and the other in Gaza. But that's ok as far as you are concerned. It's perfectly fine in your opinion to kill thousands, wound tens of thousands, but don't anyone dare to take to the streets to protest. Protesting is illegal, war is the way. So says the Master of the Game.

[MagisterLudi]

To you "taking to streets" is a ephemism for burning embassies, neighborhoods beating up reporters and causing many death... becuase of cartoons in a private paper....
But we in the West already are well familiar with this type of protest from the ME immigrants.

[JacksonJones]

Right, what they should have done was to let people shoot rockets at them without responding, go have a cup of coffee, and in all likelihood, the rocket shooters will just go home.

Am I right?

[MagisterLudi]

Freedom of speech is important.
let us all congratulate this cartoonist for his incisive wit.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/18/new-york-post-chimp-carto_n_167841.html

Love these cartoons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jyllands-Posten-pg3-article-in-Sept-30-2005-edition-of-KulturWeekend-entitled-Muhammeds-ansigt.png

[S1m0n]

It's savagely ironic, but lets face it: the irony of Israel having become the thing it most hated IS savage.

[MagisterLudi]

Well drawn and politically incisive cartoons in this Belgian publication. Scroll down to see the cartoons.

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/698

[WoodyTanaka]

So, in commenting upon whether an Australian's cartoon about Israel properly reflects its actions, your reaction is to point to Danish artists' cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Aside from demonstrating anti-Muslim bigotry, what, exactly, are you trying to accomplish?

[EDHvoice]

The political cartoon was appropriate. The use of white phosphorus against civilian targets was barbaric. The excessive use of force was criminal. The claim of antisemitism against anyone who dares question these crimes against humanity is bizarre. These attacks are bringing an end to the US public's unquestioned support for all things Israel.

[westreal]

I don't get it. Where's the anti? It looks very pro to me.

[MagisterLudi]

Cartoon is a cartoon. He can print whatever he wants. I truly have no problem with that.
And for consistency
Our M-lim posters here, please retract the Danish cartoons comments.
Petty liberals--please retract comments about the Obama chimp cartoons.

Now alls well in Webdom.

[Justtellthetruth]

What I really love about this cartoon is that it unwittingly forced the head of the ADL to sum up Israels actions towards the Palestinians in about the most succinct way I have ever heard;

"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".

[OliverTwist]

Yes.

Unfortunately there are Israeli military and civilian publications and statements that show that Israel's actions are not accidentally cruel and heartless. They are calculated.

If they were mindless it would be better.

Too bad.

[Justtellthetruth]

I have to agree. It is in fact the case that, If you simply look at settlement expansion over the last 40 years, and its utter disconnection from ANY peace talks, it is clear that Israel is simply trying to expand the settlements, and that peace talks serve as a way of facilitating that, while all other military action is aimed at quelling the predictable resistance that any people would give to such oppression.

HOWEVER, if one is attempting to obfuscate the brutality and inhuman nature of Israels settlement expansion program, as Abraham Foxman is, then the only image one would have left to describe their behavior after the last two wars is;

"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"

I love it.

[MagisterLudi]

Danish cartoons. Re published in Brussels Journal:
Enjoy.
http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/698

[HalEBurton]

A perfect depiction of a terrorist state. The only thing making it more accurate would have been a Made in the USA stamp.

[DC]

It would have been a complete political cartoon with Uncle Sam in the back (with the EU along for the ride as Uncle Sam's side-kick) feeding/egging on the headless goose stepper.

As Natanyahooooooo said to Bill Maher, "Our secret is that we have America."