Israel, Antisemitism and Gerald Scarfe’s cartoons. Israel vs Palestine

ShortLink http://wp.me/pDB7k-16z
Antisemitism was coined by one Wilhelm Marr. It is specific to the hatred of Jews.
(“Anti-semitism” is technically incorrect)

Gerald Scarfe – Netanyahu depiction 27 Jan 2013 Sunday Times

The day UK Sunday Times published the cartoon on the left happened to be the day set aside by the United Nations A/RES/60/7, 1 November 2005 as an annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of all victims of the Holocaust. The cartoon contains no Jewish symbols. It depicts Netanyahu building a wall. Israel IS building a wall outside the Internationally recognized extent of Israeli sovereignty. The cartoon depicts mortar tainted with blood. Thousands of Palestinian civilians HAVE been killed by Israel in its illegal acquisition of non-Israeli territory. Board of Deputies of British Jews appalled by Sunday Times Cartoon We immediately lodged a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission following the appalling cartoon by Gerald Scarfe in yesterday’s Sunday Times. It depicts Benjamin Netanyahu bricking up Palestinians and using blood for mortar, which is shockingly reminiscent of the blood libel imagery more usually found in parts of the virulently antisemitic Arab press. Its use is all the more disgusting on Holocaust Memorial Day, given the similar tropes levelled against Jews by the Nazis. This far exceeds any fair or reasonable criticism of Israeli policies. Last week’s Scarfe cartoon showed Bashir Al Assad, the architect of the killing of over 60,000 Syrians in little over a year, steeped in blood. If Scarfe and the Sunday Times think there is any comparison with Israel’s leadership, then they have lost all sense of proportion and reality. As well as having lodged a complaint with the PCC we have already contacted the Sunday Times. However, neither the the Sunday Times or Mr Scarf actually made “any comparison”. It’s just another nonsense statement common to the defense of Israel’s illegal policies, where the Board of Deputies of British Jews themselves attempted to make the comparison! However, if we do compare it with the Assad depiction and Mr Scarfe’s other work we can see both cartoons are in keeping with the criticism Mr Scarfe expresses of other world leaders. The Board of Deputies of British Jews have produced their own “trope” by A) leveling an accusation of Antisemitism against well deserved criticism of Israeli policies and; B) attempting a comparison accusation.

Statement from Gerald Scarfe – January 29, 2013

First of all I am not, and never have been, anti-Semitic. The Sunday Times has given me the freedom of speech over the last 46 years to criticise world leaders for what I see as their wrong-doings. This drawing was a criticism of Netanyahu, and not of the Jewish people: there was no slight whatsoever intended against them. I was, however, stupidly completely unaware that it would be printed on Holocaust Day, and I apologise for the very unfortunate timing.

Mr Scarfe ought not be apologizing, Israel didn’t bother to stop it’s illegal activities for Holocaust Day, despite the fact that the UN Charter, International Law and Conventions on human rights were in large part adopted because of what befell the Jewish people under the Nazis! Israel has been engaged in military activities “outside the State of Israel” for the last 64 years.

Gerald Scarfe – Assad depiction

I wonder if this is OK?