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

[plaidsportcoat]

Semite:
a member of any of various ancient and modern peoples originating in southwestern Asia, including the Akkadians, Canaanites, Phoenicians, Hebrews, and Arabs.

[plaidsportcoat]

Arabs are SEMITES too

[Imhotep40]

You're correct, but certainly not by ADL's standards . . . .

[DC]

And lots of Jewish people who are Semites, but not all Jews (by a long shot) are Semetic.

The Abrahamic religions have roots in the middle east among Semitic peoples. Yet not all of Islam, Christianity or Judaism are Semitic.

Why was and is Judaism characterized as exclusively Semitic? I have always wondered that?

[madashellvoter]

This is a whole lot of NOTHING. Get over yourselves!

[lightningbolt]

Oliphant should not have used the Star of David with teeth in the cartoon. With that he implies that all Jews are guilty of what the Israelis did, and THAT is anti-semitic. The cartoon is not criticizing Israel, it is criticizing Jews for something most of them did not do. Not only that, but it fails to mention that the Palestinians always attack first and Israel is defending itself. Yes, the people of Gaza are suffering, but it is Hamas and Gaza's religious leaders who are responsible for the bloodshed, since they encourage violence against Israel which encourages Israel to respond. If Israel had imperialistic aims, they could have taken over all of the Palestinians' land and killed them all, but they did not do that, even though they have the power to do so. I believe this means Oliphant's career is over.

[Justtellthetruth]

Your EXACTLY right, most Jewish people do not condone the apartheid and ethnic cleansing campaign that has come to characterize the Israeli settlers and those that back them.

However, It is THEY, the settlers and their backers, who hold up a start of David and declare that they may do ANYTHING to the Palestinians if they get in the way of their twisted aspirations.

If there were no settlements program, there would be no occupation, and subsequently, almost no violence on either side.

The cartoon is a perfectly valid and much needed criticism of the mindless, heartless violence that Israel has been subjecting the Palestinians to for decades.

[MagisterLudi]

Very incisive and politically truthful cartoon.
http://www.cavbusiness.co.uk/blackphi/images/cartoon02.jpg

[claraescher]

The star of David is the main part of the flag of the state of Israel. This is the flag that is waved over the heads of the massacred dead in the Gaza strip. I think the cartoon is completely apt. If the Star of David was not also the flag of Israel then the criticism of the cartoon would have validity.

[EspressoAtNoon]

So what is the flag of Israel? That's right: the Star of David. I guess that was the idea. As long as they cloaked themselves under "judaism" they could ethnically cleanse an entire people and use the "anti-semitism" label to vilify anyone who speaks up against it.

[WoodyTanaka]

The Star of David is no longer only a Jewish cultural or religious symbol. By adopting it as a badge of their state, the Israelis have made it into a political symbol of that state, as well. As a political symbol, as used here, it is fair game, and it is clearly a political-cartoon-shorthand for the state of Israel, in the way that "Uncle Sam" is political-cartoon-shorthand for the United States.

I don't think any fair viewer of the cartoon can reasonably believe that Oliphant meant it to mean all Jews in general, as opposed to a commentary on the state of Israel, especially since the specific incident being commented upon - the brutal assault on Gaza and the Gazans - was a military/political decision by the state of Israel.

[lightningbolt]

It would have been a more accurate cartoon if there was a guy launching a rocket next to the suffering Gazan. This cartoon simply omits the fact that Israel was attacked first. Cherry-picking the information to lay blame on Israel when it in fact is not responsible for the attack, is anti-semitism. What about the suffering Israeli victims of terrorist attacks and rockets? They are not shown in this cartoon. Clearly Oliphant has a one-sided view of the event and it is not based on facts. He went out of his way to omit certain facts, such as Hamas attacking Israel. His agenda is to demonize Israel no matter what the facts say, and that is anti-semitism.

[d00derman]

It's being critical.of Israel. This is what happens when religion, race, and the state are put up front as one. No one can be critical of Israel without someone screaming 'anti-semetic'.

[chirps]

What the ADL, aka Abe Foxman, is primarily dedicated to is tightening Israel’s already iron control of the U.S. Congress. That and living well.

[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

[preemptivelove]

the cartoon is not anti semitic. a lot of the comments here are. i'd say that it is these types of red-herring conversations that bring out all the crazy anti-semites.

[WFTomba]

Four points:

1. There is no Nazi imagery in that cartoon. (Some people associate the "goose step" gait specifically with Nazism, but that is mere ignorance.)

2. The Star of David is a religious symbol, so I can sympathize with people who are upset by seeing it used disrespectfully. But in this cartoon, it appears that the star is being used as a weapon by the headless soldier, so I would interpret this as an attack on militarists who use religion as a tool to stir up war. On the other hand, the star has been drawn with shark teeth--should that be interpreted as a comment on the nature of the Jewish religion itself? (See Point 4.) At any rate, disparagement of a symbol is NOT the same as disparagement of a people.

3. "The implication is of an Israeli policy without a head or a heart." Does Mr. Foxman realize how badly he undermines his own position by describing the cartoon as a criticism not of Jews, not of Judaism, not even of Israel, but of "Israeli policy"? Or does he actually think that attacking Israeli policy is anti-Semitic?

4. What an awkward, confusing, overly complicated cartoon.

[sueno]

Very nice post-

[anchises868]

I don't see it being anti-Semitic at all. Criticism of the state of Israel is not nearly the same as criticism of the Jews of Israel. I think it's actually a pretty apt depiction of the situation by Oliphant.

[MagisterLudi]

Freedom of speech for everyone!
http://www.cavbusiness.co.uk/blackphi/images/cartoon02.jpg

[JohnCochtosten]

I don't know what to say other than that the ADL is ridiculous.

[wordvarc]

The state of Israel shames the people of Israel.

[ManUnitdFan]

This is absurd. Here's what Wikipedia says:

"Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also known as Judeophobia) is prejudice against or hostility towards Jews.

This prejudice or hostility is usually characterized by a combination of religious, racial, cultural and ethnic biases."

Now which of those categories is the cartoon biased against? Religion? Race? Culture? Ethnicity?

No, no, no, and no. It's a cartoon criticizing Israeli policy. It in no way criticizes Jews.

[WasteNJ]

People need to shut up about cartoons. It's called freedom of speech, you can draw or write whatever you want to. Anybody can see that the image depicts a more powerful, militarized Israel going after a much disadvantaged Palestine, this is not new.
Israel prides itself on being a free democracy in the middle east. Unless you were crying about the cartoon of Mohamed last year, please sit down and be quiet.

[ResistanceisFutile]

I watched a number of programs on the History Channel last week; one on the Saddam Hussein Nazi Germany connection, one on terrorism through history, the other on the the establishment of Israel as a state.

These were an eye opener. Two caveats, the U. S. is no saint and the number of Jews killed by Nazis far exceeds the number of Paletinians the Jews have killed, before I state the obvious.

What the Jews have done to the Palestinians is unforgivable. They should be ashamed!

[runforfun54]

Well, you just made the point I've been trying to make ... you talk about "what the Jews have done to the Palestinians." That is not anti-Israel, that is anti semitic. Truth be told Muslims have called more Muslims than Israel EVER HAS!

[ResistanceisFutile]

I am not anti Israel and I am not anti Jew.

You have just made many of these bloggers points. Anytime anyone doesn't agree with Israel, AIPAC or a Jew with an opinion they are accused of being anti-semetic. Even the use of the word Jew is considered as anti-semetic.

Who do you think makes up the Israel army? Jews make up the Israel Army.

Who do you think runs the country? Jews are in the majority and run Israel.

The only reason the Jews in Israel do not want a one country solution to the Palestinian issue is they prefer a monoculture of Jews.

This is not anti-semitism. These are just the facts.

[raker]

This is a conventional political cartoon. The point of view is clear: in the conflict between Israel and Gaza, Israel is larger and more powerful. Israel's aggressive posture is ironically compared to that of the Nazis. Stinging, yes. Hideously anti-Semitic, no. Unduly harsh? Maybe. But the outrage is because the cartoon resembles Nazi anti-Semitic propaganda. Yes, it looks like it, but they're not the same in meaning or in spirit.

People ought to choose their battles more carefully, so when the real monsters come along they won't have cried wolf and diluted their position.

[runforfun54]

You are the first person here to rationally make your point. I am fiercely pro-Israel, but really respect your position.