So far, outside of one or two protests from Jewish organizations, like the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, I have not seen any widespread outrage addressed to the Washington Post editors for the Oliphant political cartoon that appeared in yesterday’s edition.
Certainly, the Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist is an equal opportunity offender. Just last month, Rupert Murdoch was forced to apologize when The New York Post ran a cartoon by Sean Delonas that compared a violent chimp shot dead by police to what many said was a stand-in for President Barack Obama, and hence racist in content.
Oliphant has now moved on the Jews. In his new cartoon, he goes from criticizing Israel and Zionism to open anti-Semitism. In so doing, he is following the example of some in the British press. In January of 2002, the leftist New Statesman ran a cover depicting a gold Star of David piercing and dominating a prostrate British flag, with the title “A Kosher Conspiracy?” over the front. And a cartoon in The Independent in May of 2003 ran a cartoon of then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon eating a baby.
Now, in his new cartoon, Oliphant echoes the kind of propaganda once favored by the Nazis in their racist paper Der Strumer, edited by one of Hitler’s top journalists, Julius Streicher. What Oliphant does is show a headless Nazi-like soldier- an Israeli- goose-stepping Nazi fashion with his sword ready for action. He is ready to inflict a weaponized Star of David on a mother and child in Gaza. The right side of the religious symbol of Judaism is depicted as a shark coming at the hapless victims.
If you think the comparison to the cartoons in Streicher’s rag is going too far, take a look at this cartoon. Or this one: the Jewish “monster” with his claw-like hands trying to take over the world. One might wonder if Oliphant consulted this Nazi archive for inspiration.
What should we make of this obscene cartoon which obviously some editors at the Post feel is legitimate criticism in the growing climate of hostility to Israel. For many years, critics of Israel have argued incessantly that to criticize Israel and its policies is not anti-Semitism. Last week, Judea Pearl argued in an op-ed that in today’s world, there is no difference between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. Mr. Oliphant has proved him correct.
Since writing the above, Barry Rubin has written a brilliant comment on the cartoon. You will find it here, with the cartoon reprinted: http://israelinsider.ning.com/forum/topics/barry-rubin-the-loathsome
Addendum: To see the cartoons, go to the third link from the top to the word “paper” before Der Sturmer. Then you can see all the cartoons. The direct links do not work
The two direct links (4 & 5 from the top) to the Nazi cartoons didn’t work, but they can be accessed from the page you provided (3rd link from the top).
I have no problem whatsoever defending Oliphant regarding the chimp cartoon. It is ridiculous to think it had anything to do with Barack Obama. This most recent cartoon, however, is an entirely different kettle of fish. It directly and unambiguously targets Israel’s Jews. Well, why are we surprised by Oliphant’s willingness to offend them? He knows that over 80% of America’s Jews voted for Obama in spite of his anti-Semitic associations. If they don’t seem to care, why should he?
I think you’ve the NY Post cartoonist was Mike Ramirez, not Pat Oliphant. Not that it in any way redeems the Washington Post’s editorial insensitivity. I expect the WaPo would argue Oliphant isn’t anti-Semitic, merely anti-Zionist — as if that would make this cartoon any less noisome, as in their book the only good Jew is one who condemns Israel, and the only reason any Jew could support Israel is ethnic identification, not support for the only democracy in the M.E. which respects Arab’s Human Rights.
I’m not sure it’s anti-Semitic. It’s just plain crap. The product of a weak and incurious mind.
The chimp cartoon wasn’t Oliphant. It was Sean Delonas.
Sometime a cartoon is just a cartoon.
Whenever someone says to the debased establishment, “You are wrong”, you can expect hissy fits.
It really adds fuel to the fire that selective vision has a debilitating effect on
maturity.
There is not a shadow of a doubt in my mind that this cartoon is disgraceful, brazenly and openly anti-Semitic, and just one more example of our own U.S. mainstream media skulking towards the opinions and techniques of their much-admired left wing European brethren.
Freedom of speech requires me to say that I certainly wouldn’t call for something like this not to be published, but to ignore that it is a symptom of a growing and serious problem is not the answer. This cartoon is, indeed, totally interchangeable with 1930′s Nazi propaganda and contemporary hard left and official Islamic state-sponsored anti-Semitic propaganda.
The ridiculous shibboleth that it is merely anti-Israeli and not anti-Semitic is so obviously false that it is laughable. In this image, wherein the Star of David is portrayed as a straight-edged velociraptor, on the leash of a headless goose-stepping Jewish/Nazi clone about to devour a small, frail mother-and-child figure identified as Gaza, there isn’t even a pretense of associating monstrous behavior with anything other than Jews, Israeli or not. And, this doesn’t even consider the extreme irony of picturing the people of Gaza, self-selecting a terrorist leadership, bathed in their often and plainly stated desire to fully eliminate Israel and her people, educating their children in Nazi inspired pure Jew-hatred, and hurling rockets by the thousands, indiscriminately, at any and all the innocent civilians they can reach in Israel, as a small, seemingly powerless and innocent mother and child, Madonna and babe, about to be slaughtered by the “evil Jew”.
This just reinforces an allied feeling I’ve had for quite some time, because of the way Israel is depicted in the world press, and now, to a disturbing extent, in our U.S. media. This behavior isn’t happening in a vacuum. Israel is mistreated and negatively criticized, in most media, like no other nation on earth. Even when not being absolutely demonized, it is held to standards no other nation ever has been and to which no nation ever could live, yet still survive. When you subtract from the extreme critics of Israel those who are hard left wing lemmings, operating on the “enemy of my enemy” principle, marching for whatever cause of the moment is most likely to inflict the worst damage on the American and European free markets, the obvious Islamists and Arabists, the useful idiots of popular and fashionable liberal opinion in academe, the “news” media and entertainment industries, and self-hating Jews of many different stripes, you are left with a residual and very large group more difficult to explain. I fear that these people, especially in Europe, but increasingly in America, are simply old-fashioned anti-Semites whose cultural antecedents have been suffering, over the last generation or two, under powerful restraints upon expressing their inherited anti-Semitism by the fallout from the Holocaust. The current status of Israel has been a liberating experience for them, allowing them to put their feelings of hatred and pent-up resentment to voice, and give a righteous comeuppance to those who would have otherwise looked upon their prejudice with approbation. I think that this is a mighty portion of the fuel that has powered a large part of public opinion and allowed a political leftist like Oliphant to feel comfortable and unafraid (no real “truth to power” without fear) to let this example of unalloyed anti-Semitism, tied to Israeli-bashing, be seen.
To all of those fair minded individuals who still represent the great majority here in America, and especially to those American Jews who think they can separate opinions of Israel from opinions about themselves, I say, wake up. Wake up before it is too late to stop what I fear is an awful tide of intimidation and prejudice, as is already beginning to be seen in Europe, from coming our way.
The cartoon doesn’t annoy me very much but it was fascinating to view the cartoons that give so much insight into the Nazi mind.
#2-Dave,
You are correct. If they don’t care, why should we?
When the history of the next holocaust is written there will be an entire chapter devoted to the Jews in the USA turning a blind eye to these things rather than deny their leftie politics.
Oh well…it will suck to be them.
In a normal sane world a cartoon like this would result in the cartoonist being ridiculed and generally treated with contempt by all reasonable people.
However while there are those of us who see this for what it is and feel contempt for the person even if we do not want it banned as free expression, I do not believe that this man will be treated with the contempt that he deserves by a large segment of the population especially those in positions of power and authority let alone those in the media who are in step or should I say goose step with his views. And this is perhaps the saddest part of all…
Anyway that being said if everyone who is a conservative referred to the Cartoonist as that Racist Pat Oliphant we will get the message home. From now on if you write about this sorry excuse for a human being prefrace his name with Racist, that is the best way, label him so it sticks…
This has been Oliphant’s pet project for years. All along, Jews were too civilized to react appropriately, so Oliphant is still positioned to deliver more of the same.
I’ve enjoyed Oliphant’s work in the past, but this cartoon is just execrable. And he’s too well educated not to know the derivation of that imagery. It reminds me of the “mammy” cartoons Secretary Rice was subjected to, and how the artists had to know provenance of the images they were using.
I certainly don’t agree with the cartoon’s message but it seems aimed at Israeli policy than a blanket indictment of the Jewish people. Spare me the Nazi Der Sturmer comparisons, what a better way to shut down any discussion about Israel by declaring her critics as Nazis or self hating Jews.
Meanwhile, Mel Gibson, Ron Paul and Ann Coulter get a pass around here from many based on politics, but maybe I am just being a paranoid Jew.
“Whenever someone says to the debased establishment, “You are wrong”, you can expect hissy fits.”
Are you talking about the right wing noise machine and lackeys like you or the MSM?
Here are a couple of tests that can be applied to the cartoon:
Q: Does Oliphant publish cartoons like this when Palestinians are brutalized by other Arabs?
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/4238efe3f8eaacbd1613b65183b1902f.htm
A: No
Q: Does Hamas, who controls Gaza and fires rockets into Israel proclaim as their goal the destruction of Israel and all its people?
A: Yes
Q: Does Oliphant sympathize with or support Hamas?
A: Yes
There is no other answer to the question: Is the cartoon and Oliphant anti-Semitic then yes.
This is a cross post from Hot Air…
Why would Oliphant give me another reason not to read the Washington Post, when I already have as many as I need?
The message reflects what is oft alleged about Israel. They are characterized as being like the Nazis. I think the cartoon merely reflects these charges… and at the same time, demonstrates the ridiculousness of same. I support Israel, but I have no problem with this cartoon. I like when the haters are exposed.
Mel Gibson did apologize for his drunken tirade. People in Hollywood do say some shockingly unliberal remarks in the heat of the moment. The Seinfeld comedian who ranted about hanging black people comes to mind. It’s just who they are.
I respect the cartoonist’s right to satirize or make a point, even criticizing Isreal, but remember – there were common racist images in cartoons (even animation) that stereotyped minorities and Jews. During WW 2 American media used depict Asians (Japanese) as buck toothed, rat faced monsters. Perverting the star of David is an old anti semitic trick.
In one of his earlier cartoon, he depicted the Isreal PM feeing posion to a bird symbolizing peace. A legitimate point to make, and not anti semitic. But this one does strike me as a method of German propanganda revisited.
Any way they try to sugarcoat it, this is anti-Semitism, pure and simple. the fact that the Washington post would publish it tells me that the “intellectual elite’” of the new power crowd in D.C. no longer feel they have to hide their hatred for Israel.
To my mind, this is just one more example of how bizarre the mindset of the “politically correct” clique’ is. Not that we’ve had any trouble guessing before this.
Islamist terrorists attack us- and they say it’s our fault.
Islamist terrorists attack Israel- and they say it’s Israel’s fault.
Islamist terrorist hide behind innocent civilians- who openly support same- to attack Israel- and when Israel defends itself, it’s still Israel’s fault.
Why don’t our “enlightened ones” just come right out and admit that what they really want is for Western civilization to die, in the belief that they will then be able to build a Utopia on the ruins thereof, with the Islamists as their fawning sycophants?
That, at least, would be honest. Stupid- but honest.
clear ether
eon
Unlike a certain other religious group, Jewish people will not respond with threats/fatwas/violence/displays of their general impotence.
But seeing how that other group has achieved protected status in Europe and elsewhere through their irrationality, maybe it’s time to start playing the crazy…
http://trackacrat.com/
Horace, the comparisons to Der Sturmer are apt. The goose-stepping soldier holding his arm in a Nazi salute is clearly meant to compare Israelis to Nazis.
Comparing Jews to Nazis is meant to delegitimize Israel. It is meant to be ironic, along the lines of slogans like the ‘Palestinians are the new Jews.’ For Europeans, comparing the Jews to Nazis allows them to assuage any guilt they may have felt for the destruction of European Jewry. For lefties like Oliphant , in part he has bought into the downtrodden Palestinian rhetoric. He is anti-American and by Israel’s connection to the US he is anti-Israel. He believes Israel has no right to defend itself against its enemies, and that when Israel does defend itself it is acting like the Nazis.
“Are you talking about the right wing noise”
Ahh, we forgot our moonbat decoder ring:
Conservative criticism = “right wing noise”
Left-wing moonbat paranoid delusions = “speaking truth to power”
Thanks!
Horace Wells: the Magen David is a symbol of Judaism in general, not of the Israeli state.
well, isn’t it what is called “freedom of speeches” sometimes, oh wait, when it’s at the French
http://www.cagle.com/news/FrancePartDeux/main.asp
“Pat J:
Sometime a cartoon is just a cartoon.”
And sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes it’s a method for dehumanising a group so that people won’t protest when you or someone with similar views do something unthinkably bad to them.
I wonder if you would have been so dismissive had the cartoon demonised any other group?
AtheistConservative
You small minded twit,
You have no idea what my politics are yet you felt to pigeonhole me in you right wing cosmology of demons.
That’s right, be a good little contard and just toss out stupid dishonest labels rather than actuall discuss and reason!
Most of the people here are just stupid little talk show parrot followers pretending you are some mighty hawks.
Marie Claude,
In the USA media you can ridicule, insult, and spread hatred against white Christians only. It is always open season on the French, along with those Hollywood baddie Brits, Russians, and ‘rednecks’.
Horace,
Call the kettle black, much?
V/R,
Jeff Weimer
David Franklin
The “tide” you’re referring to has arrived, go to higher ground, refine your swimming technique, our Trojan horse president is experienced surfing on waves of antisemitism.
Wow I love seeing such irony. Generally, people here are always complaining about politcally correct types calling conservative stuff racist, sexist, homophobic. But then the same types here have already fitted a dress black SS uniform for Oliphant’s closet. I disagree with his politics but I don’t demonize him as a Nazi.
Weimer,
at least I’ve learned to think for myself and not let others with shabby agendas egg me on!
Horace Wells if you read my comment above you will see that I would not ban it but subject him to the ridicule that he deserves and better still use the left wing insult of racist to boot. The fact is that he is writing in support of Nazi’s, which while it does not make him a Nazi, it makes him a useful idiot and he should be treated with contempt for that…
Horace Wells funy name for a warrior with common sense
10. kenny komodo, I agree with you. But the hippocracy is palpable. Leftists are, in fact, fascists…
Looks like the Post has taken the cartoon down. Now, to the point of the discussion:
Does Oliphant have the right to his cartoon? Yes. Does the Post have a right to publish it? Yes. Do Ron Radosh, I and many others here have the right to condemn it as anti Semitic? Yes and to prove it, I say it is a sick, Jew hating cartoon and Oliphant seems to be an sick, anti Semite to draw it. How’s that for free speech?
————————————-
Who is John Galt?
The referenced cartoon is not (or is no longer?) at the listed URL.
I can’t get the links to any of the cartoons above to work. Either it can’t be found, or I “don’t have permission to access /academic/cas/gpa/images/sturmer/ds37-47.jpg on this server.” Do you have any other links? Thanks!
http://www.gocomics.com/patoliphant/2009/03/25/#comments
Why is the soldier headless? Does that evoke specific prior art?
Not only is anti-semitic, it is grotesque. Is he imitating something from the latest left-wing European panic attack over Israel?
My brother died in a gas chamber in Auschwitz at age 4 in 1943. Thirteen other members of my extended family also were murdered there and in the same manner. My parents miraculously survived the war and were reunited. I was born in Germany in 1946. I have lived in the USA since 1949. I know anti-Semitism when I see it.
The cartoon fits well into Natan Sharansky’s three D’s of modern anti-Semitism: Demonization (Jews as Nazis), Double standard (Jews are not allowed to defend themselves), and Deligitimization (because of the former there is no legitimate reason for a Jewish state).
So, to make sure I understand the rules here: it’s all right for you to call anyone who criticizes Israel a Nazi, but anyone else who compares Israel to the Nazis is…a Nazi? Now that’s deep thinking!
This cartoon firstly targets Jews and only secondarily Israel. There are several reasons for this.
1. If you put a person in a room seated in front of a monitor. You tell that person that an image will flash on the screen followed by two explanations of what it is and you are to select the explanation that more appropriately explains the image.
I guarantee everyone that if a Star of David was flashed on the monitor and two choices were.
A. Israel
B. Jews
By far the majority would select B. Jews.
The Star of David is only assoicated with Israel because the majority of people who live in Israel are Jews.
Non Orthodox Jews the world over where the Star of David as a piece of Jewelry.
The Star of David equates to Jews first and foremost.
The cartoon was anti-semitic.
Without looking at his archive, I will wager a large sum the none of Oliphant’s cartoons have Muslim crescents on storm troopers or terrorists. He doesn’t have the balls to publish something like that.
The important thing is that while many Jews will be justifiably upset by the cartoon, it is highly unlikely any in a position to do so will issue the equivalent of a fatwa calling for Oliphant’s head. Another point for Judaism, and minus one for Islam.
I thought it was from an arab newspaper. The leftist news organizations in the West are becoming completely unhinged. We’re becoming radical leftists like Europe now. God help us.
this foul and filthy anti-semitic “cartoon” is actually a marketing strategy for the washington post, now successfully positioned a level below the toilet.
Oliphant is a big stinking foul smelling piece of trash if you ask me…His cartoon is garbage. The Washington Post is too.
If San Francisco sets idly by while little ladies are beat up by Muslims than they stink.
He can put this garbage in papers and they sell them? Do people pay and buy this garbage? Are they crazy? Are they deranged? Are they Democrats who buy this garbage, I would wager they are!
the Star is also on Israel flag, then the only religious connotation, (unless Israel wants to be defined as a religious state) can’t be counted, as the very anti-semitic intention
the man without head, stepping on Gaza direction with boots ala german nazis, (though other countries still have this kind of military steps) and pushing the star on a wheel with monster teeth like an arpenteur, that draws blindly (no head) the border (or limits) is conformed to what has been lately said in the medias and MSM
The thing is, that the star, for lots of persons, still is the symbol of the Jews, and not of a country, this is where it becomes ambigous.
Now, I don’t think that Arabs or Gazans would have made the same picture, they would abondantly have picked in the nazy collective memory, (Jews with big noses…) The fact that this man has no head means that the caricaturor doesn’t emphasise on the traditional Jews charateristics of the Nazis, but on Israel’s that accidently is a Jewish country.
Oliphant seems to find his inspiration in the “Mad Max” movies
Well I don’t find it’s a subtil drawing, it uses the current popular images, the problem is that is a drawing and not a writing.
The Jewish associations in France would probably put the case in Court, but not sure that they would win the trial.
I don’t know if it ‘s possible in the US, at least one can try !
He hasn’t just moved on the Jews. He was doing it for years. He published anti-semitic cartoons in the ’70′s. The ADL complained and other Jewish organizations to the Post and the Denver newspaper which was his home.
The Post, home to so many assimilated and elitist universalist “Jews” seemed to delight in thumbing its nose at the criticism and just kept right on going.
Unfortunately, people don’t remember how bad this guy has been over the years. He must be pretty old, now. I hope he passes from the scene–sooner rather than later.
Let me correct my post above. Oliphant’s ugly antisemitic cartoons in the 1970′s must have been in the old Washington Star, which was his home newspaper in the late ’70′s. As I recall, the Denver paper and later the Star were his home papers, and both tolerated his ugliness.
I won’t apologize for making the comment I did about the Post. The Post has always been arrogant and immune to criticism for their hostility to Israel over the years. In fact, both the Post and the defunct Star were often unfair to Jews and Israel in the ’70′s. The Post often still is.
WELL RON RADISH YOU ARE RIGHT BUT MR. ELEPHANT IS GOING TO HAVE EAT HIS WORD’S (OR EAT HIS CARTOON??LOL) WHEN HE FINDS OUT THAT ISREAL IS FINALLY TAKING THE LEAD ON THE WHOLE DARFOUR SITUASION WITH IT’S ATTACK ON SUDAN, REALLY LEADING BY AN EXAMPLE OF TAKING A STRONG STAND. “NEVER AGAIN!”
Second time to post this. It appears that the Post has taken the cartoon down from the list of Oliphant’s cartoons. There is nothing available for March 25. On the other hand, does Oliphant have the right to draw the cartoon? Yes. Do I have the right to think he is an anti-Semite because of it? Yes.
—————————————–
Who is John Galt?
A month ago the Washington Post was actually pre-emptively apologising for having printed a picture of a monkey carrying away a woman in love.
What they said was, in an Editor’s Note, “the image and text inadvertently may conjure racial stereotypes that The Post does not countenance.”
“Inadvertently” is right, because the story and the cartoon were not about racial groups. No one was offended.
No one even pretended to be offended, not even the Reverend Sharpton himself.
So a month later the Washington Post gives us this, and it’s vile. It’s meant to be offensive. It’s meant to hurt Jews. Likening Jews to the Nazis is meant to hurt Jews.
But that’s the Washington Post. They countenance this, but the monkey, they don’t.
That evil goose-steeping headless person should let that poor woman alone so she can raise her child to commit sucide while murdering other people.
I can remember the time when this sort of cartoon would have caused a huge uproar but now, today, the Jewish community in this country doesn’t seem to be too concerned. I’m sure the leftys are happy with the silence.
This is just the beginning, I’m afraid.
Come on, “progressives”, just come on out and admit it.
You hate Israel, you hate America; you support (or claim you support) Palestinians, and Moslems, because they’re (supposedly)all oppressed persons of color.
As eon says, you’re just hoping they’ll bring down the west so you can establish your Leftwing utopia. These are your core beliefs; the squirming and nit-picking about “Hey, it’s not anti-semetic, it’s anti-Israel, ‘cuz the Star of David is on the Israeli flag, see? And it’s freedom of speech! And, anyway, why is wrong to compare Israel to the Nazis? Freedom of speech means I can compare anybody to the Nazis, and be taken seriously!”—all this is meaningless.
Well, Shef, it seems Oliphant is comparing Jews to Nazis in his little scribble.
Not especially deep thinking on his part, I’d say. He has freedom of speech. So do we, and we are free to criticize him for this.
And, of course, Old Soldier, you can just imagine the hullabaloo that would occur if some cartoonist drew the Islamic Crescent, with fangs, a goose-stepping Jihadi marching behind it, pursuing a mother and child labeled, “Jews” or “Human shields”.
And no one would be allowed to excuse it away with, “Well, the artist’s not against Islam! He’s just against the jihadis. Or the this. Or that. Or whatever.”
Whatever.
Remember Palestinians are semitic as well. Its the region!!!
I will lose a lot of respect for Charles Krauthammer if he does not quit this vile, Nazi rag.
His major outlet now is Fox News. He does not the the ComPost anymore.
His quitting and denouncing the Post as a Nazi paper would be enough to drive circulation down by 5-10%, cause advertisers to stop putting in ads, and possibly push the paper to the tipping point, where it has to close.
Oliphant is a dick head, Excuse me, I don’t want to offend any ladies in the audience. You are a penis. Going after Jews and Christians is easy. Do a cartoon about the “prophet”, Muhammed you gutless coward. Show some balls man, if you have any?
Who cares, it isn’t as if the Jews are going to get mad and start exploding or beheading people.
Maybe people aren’t as outraged as one would expect simply because they know that newspapers are dying and that Oliphant will die with them.
I’m not creative in this way, but I’d love to see a cartoon of Oliphant’s little penguin reacting to this Oliphant cartoon in an appropriate fashion. The best I can come up with is the penguin with its highly-identifiable beak up the back of a mullah’s robe. Better for it to have its head up its own cloaca, but then you wouldn’t be able to identify it by its beak.
Meanwhile, Mel Gibson, Ron Paul and Ann Coulter get a pass around here from many based on politics, but maybe I am just being a paranoid Jew.
No, just a leftist Jew who makes excuses for people who will kill you. I’m not Jewish so it’s your problem. Deal with it.
I thought intent mattered.
He draws a cartoon that uses an avatar – an embodiment of how he views the Israeli actions towards Palestinians – to represent Israel. He’s clearly not using it to show how he feels about US or french or somalian jews – about how they’re treating anyone – it’s necessarily limited to Israel jews. The star is on the Israeli flag. Only in Israel do Palestinians clash violently with Jews to the Palestinians’ cost.
It would make no sense for him to draw this cartoon to imply that all Jews were guilty of the acts of which he complains. No, he clearly targets Israelis. If anything, I’m guessing he was careless in his symbology.
Just as I do not doubt the non-racist viewpoint expressed in the chimp cartoon, I also decry the careless “what, this offends?!” claim of innocence that that author gave. There are times when an expression can accurately portray what you wish it to portray, while at the same time its author may be acting so utterly clueless about alternative interpretations that have support in the public perception that you must at least question her sincerity.
But even if Oliphant did mean to imply that Judaism itself was the driver of Israel’s acts, the hue and cry of “racism” is inaccurate and hysterical and unwarranted, and is being used, I suspect, in a deliberately dishonest way because it offers an opportunity to revile someone we already dislike and tag them with a socially unanswerable charge. I can become a Republican, or I can quit, just as I can become or quit being a machinist, or a stamp collector, or a Muslim, or a Jew. Where is this race of Jews across the world that needs such protection? It’s the adherents to the Jewish religion who experience horrid treatment across the globe, not the direct descendants of some certain line of ancestry. We decry racism because it degrades people based on immutable – unchangable – things such as who your parents were – factors the victims cannot affect. Criticism of religious belief – beliefs that are voluntarily accepted and adopted and sometimes cast off – is NOT beyond the Pale.
And, for the same reason that it is entirely appropriate to decry those parts of the muslim world that misuse or mischaracterize their own religious dogma to justify bad acts, it is entirely appropriate to criticize Jews whom you perceive to be misusing Judaism to do the same. (Of course, your argument must then stand or fall on its merits – but calling it “racist” is the coward’s way of saying “you’re wrong, but instead of proving that, we’re simply going to vilify you.” My first reaction to the cry of “racist” is almost always “they must not have any honest argument to support their position.”
Let’s leave that to the liberals, shall we? If we’re simply to devolve into two opposing teams of liars and cheats, the teams are going to both find themselves out on their butts.
Oliphant’s cartoon implies that decades of bloodlust and dishonesty and treachery of the muslim neighbors of Israel towards Israel mean nothing, and that a three-time attempted murderer has only to say “let me back in, so that I can kill you” to invoke some human right of re-entry. It’s completely asinine on that basis alone, and shows Oliphant to be a pandering liar. And that’s enough.
One has to ask. Is Oliphant supporting what he’s depicting in the cartoon? Maybe. Maybe not.
Is he drawing on images from “Der Strumer?” I would argue he is. And that’s just my opinion.
Different people can look at it in different manners. Jews certainly see it as insulting, and rightly so. Some people might also see Oliphant’s cartoon as saying the Israeli’s were behaving like Nazi bullies, thus becoming what they destest the most. It all comes down to how one sees the cartoon and what the cartoonist is trying to express
If anything Oliphant’s cartoon demonstrates the power of satire.
Oliphant’s papers have shamed themselves. It might be different if the toon wasn’t so perfectly aligned with the nastiest propaganda out there. It might be different if Israel wasn’t in a fight for life. It might be different if the Obamanites weren’t in the midst of the sorriest betrayal, the one where someone encouraged to depend on you finally needs you and that’s when you say “oops, changed my mind”. Signs and portents, history is warning again, stop this now.
Horace Wells, you are an absolute moron, and a raging hypocrite to boot. It is bad enough that you insult everyone else’s intelligence in a post riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. But what is even worse is the fact you claim you are being “pigeonholed”, yet you turn right around and label pretty much every commenter here “stupid little talk show parroters”. That description becomes even funnier and more hypocritcal after reading your whiny crybaby complaint about a guy tossing out “stupid little labels”. Guess what, I haven’t listened to Rush Limbaugh in a decade, yet I can still tell you are a thin-skinned jackass.
Rubin does not think the cartoon is anti-semitic. How is that brilliant?
Pat J: Keep looking for nuances. Oliphant is a leftist ass-kisser. How about him doing a cartoon showing the “prophet” having sex with his eight-year old wife. That will be good for a laugh, and maybe a few riots too.
After this cartoon there is no doubt that Oliphant is antisemitic.
#61 Pat J
“Some people might also see Oliphant’s cartoon as saying the Israeli’s were behaving like Nazi bullies, thus becoming what they detest the most.”
Ah, the enemies of Israel, with their plan coming to fruition. They even like to help their enemy’s reputation of cruelty by hiding behind citizens, shooting rockets from civilian buildings, raising their children to commit suicide and murder, and killing their own people to parade before the media. Oh, and fake funerals.
Brilliant, yet oddly transparent which furthers the question; Why is the world helping them hide in the shadows?
Finally, I really don’t need your answer, so carry on.
Some great comments above. And some really stupid ones, too.
I will now refer to Pat Oliphant as ‘the racist Pat Oliphant’ and the Washington Post as the ‘Jew hating Washington Post.’ I’m sorry to the poster who suggested it — I can’t find your post again, or I’d give you credit for the idea. He should be identified by his actions.
Pat J: I’ve never understood the left’s sympathy for the Palestinians. They elected Hamas Nazis to represent them, so as far as I’m concerned, those Palestinians are Nazis too. Let’s face it and not be overcome with political correctness: there are some stupid, ignorant people in this big wide world, and Palestinians go to the head of the class. My only criticism of Israel is that they never finish the job. If someone started lobbing mortars and rockets into Russia or China, guess what would happen? Israel! Start dropping leaflets into Gaza and the rest of the slums where Palestinians live, and then turn the place into a huge parking lot. You’re on your own now because that communist clown in the White House will stab you in the back if you let him.
Still Bill/65; I’ve never understood the left’s sympathy for the Palestinians –oh yes you do, tho it’s nice of you to give our Left a way out. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem was a very early, very ardent, ally of one Adolph Hitler. He even raised a Muz SS unit, which operated as bloodily as you would expect once loosed among helpless civilian populations in the Balkans. Any doubters are only a few clicks away from the truth. The nazis never went anywhere but underground for awhile and now they’re all over the place smiling at you from your tv screen.
The guy who said that Europe is anti-semitic is right on.
Just chatting about here in Switzerland with co-workers this trip and the previous trip, you DEFINITELY detect it as the discussion touches on various issues.
The continent is being gradually overrun with Islam and they are worried about the Jews.
Incredible.
The continent is being gradually overrun with Islam and they are worried about the Jews.
Incredible.
Tu l’as dit bouffi, une lapalissade de bistrot
This cartoon is nothing more than “Freedom of the press”.
#74 Marie Claude: I’m sure you are well versed in the languages of the world. I speak English fairly well I hope, and a little bit of Italian and Spanish. I managed to make my way around many bars in Mexico, and I’m not talking about the tourist cities in Mexico, I’m talking about the dirt poor towns in Mexico where people are friendly and the bars are friendly. You sound like you are well-educated, but you seem to lack common sense. Jews and Christians are not planting bombs on airplanes or in restaurants or in markets. Muslims are. No, I’m not indicting all Muslims, but if you don’t do anything about the scum who are desecrating your religion, than as far as I’m concerned you are desecrating your religion.
I suppose that in theory anti-Zionism does not necessarily mean antisemitism. In the case of, for example, the Jewish ultra-orthodox sect of Netura Kartei, which opposes the state of Israel as a secular state because it believes that only The Lord has sovereignty over Israel, we might say that this opinion has some validity. We might note, however, that this view leads Netura Kartei to cooperate with anitsemitic, genocidal enemies of Israel, like the present government of Iran.
In practice anti-Zionism is an ideology that leads its votaries to be advocates for, apologists for, allies of, and facilitators of those whose aim is the destruction of Israel and the genocide of its Jewish population. In other words, they are helping those who wish to bring about the genocide of five million more Jews. That sounds pretty much like antisemitism to me.
The Palestinian Arabs, and many others, aspire to the genocide of the Jews, to finish the job the Nazis started. Hamas has explicitly announced this, and the Palestinian Arabs voted them into office on that basis. Their ability to carry out this intention is limited only by the inadequacy of their weapons and the lack of competence of their fighters. Give them time and both will improve. And for what does Israel stand condemned? For defending its people against mass murder, terrorism, and attempted genocide. People who consider such defense evil are, at best, moral cretins. Again, if that is not antisemitism it sure enough looks like it, and it has much the same effect.
The headless soldier rang a chime with me. Google found this: http://www.lib.msu.edu/coll/main/spec_col/radicalism/exhibits/masses/july16.html by Robert Minor, a Socialist cartoonist for “The Masses”, one of the antiwar journals that made life so interesting for Woodrow Wilson. An unsourced biography is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Minor. I don’t know if this is the source of Oliphant’s imagery, but it’s certainly right in line with his ideology.
Still Bill, I am not naive, though I don’t endorse all the discourses that are hold on us, how we are dhimmi Eurabia… etc, we still have strong republican values, that the majority hold for a parapet against derives from integrists, quite autoritarian would say our enlightened neighbours, a few decades ago, nonentheless, it’s the way all our provinces were integrated to the central power of France.
You only hear of a marginalised and gangsterised part of our immigrants, about 10% of the whole muslim population.
I said somewhere else, that I host a muslim customer. Well he is french from a maroccan origin, still a student trainee in civil nuclear energy. Because his means are lower than a normal technician, he shares his room with another french student. That doesn’t make any problem for them. Besides, I have another one customer, probably muslim too, though, you wouldn’t say it by his appearance and or his name. Though, I guess he is too, because, the muslims that I usually get as customers don’t use the sheets, they bring their blanket with, and sleep above the cover. Both are quit respectful and talkative, they share our actual money worries and opinions on the political elite. Never got one muslim customer that would advocate his religion and or made some special request because of it, never seen them making a pray.
” I’ve never understood the left’s sympathy for the Palestinians.”
I think the adage “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” sums up their love for the Palestinians perfectly.
“No, just a leftist Jew who makes excuses for people who will kill you. I’m not Jewish so it’s your problem. Deal with it.”
What was it that Martin Niemoller said again?
“Jews certainly see it as insulting, and rightly so.”
You shouldn’t have to be jewish to be find this “cartoon” insulting as hell. This cartoon is every bit as offensive as someone drawing a cartoon of Obama eating watermelon and whistling at white women. And I can guarantee you garbage like that would never be printed in the Post, and rightfully so. Yet when it is the Jews or Israel who are the targets, these people feel it is allright to print cartoons that would make Goebbels blush.
I’ve collected quite a few volumes of political cartoons – but after seeing this image by Oliphant, I’ve destroyed the several volumes of Oliphant that I had in my collection. Puck, get fucked.
I should have done so last year after his sliming of the late Alexander Solzhenitsyn (I’m a De mortiis aut bene aut nihil kind of guy).
Many on the left secretly wish that if Israel would just “go away” the Middle East problem would be solved. They don’t/won’t understand that we’ve had trouble with Islam ever since that “shores of Tripoli” line was added to the US Marine Hymn. If Israel didn’t exist the failed Arab states of that region would pick on someone else to divert attention from their incompetence.
Oliphant has apparently bought into the leftwing hysteria against Israel. Shame, really. He used to be funny.
Hmmm…not sure where the comic disappear to but I can’t seem to access it at all. Gives me a Page Error. Hopefully someone archived it.
Oliphant draws as if he thinks Gaza has only small women and children, no men and no terrorists. Nobody is that confused.
The wheel on the bottom of the Star of David makes no sense. The headless soldier in charge of the Star does not look Jewish or Israeli, he’s goose stepping, and has lost his head somewhere. Maybe he cut his own head off with his sword before taking charge of the Jews.
According to Oliphant, Judaism is a tool of headless Nazis, I suppose. Could Oliphant just be ill?
Or did Jews invent the unicycle and the sword so somehow it all makes sense?
The WaPo is not only anti-Semitic and anti-Israel, it is anti-Catholic. Toles did a cartoon of the Pope laughing at AIDS victims.
It gets worse and worse. I read it solely for the comics, and they’re in the process of ruining those.
“Tu l’as dit bouffi, une lapalissade de bistrot”
Google Language Tools translate that as:
“You have said so puffy, the obvious bistro”
Babelfish translates it as:
“You said it bouffi, a self-evident truth of bar”
(walks away, scratching his head in puzzlement….)
glad you learnt sumthin
#80 Marie Claude: “You only hear of a marginalized and gangsters part of our immigrants, about 10% of the whole Muslim population.”
Let’s see that would be in the neighborhood of between 400,000 and 500,000 radical gangsters. Then there are the ones who support, nourish, and cheer them on, or, as you do, dismiss them because nothing has happened to you personally.
C’est la vie!
LynnS, contrary to you I don’t buy american papers, but my family’s experience and my reading of statistics. What you believe that is a neighbourhood of 400 000 … etc, is witnessing how misinformed you are, how many are really gangsta ? not more than the percentage of unemployeds there, and among these unemployeds, tonly the remnent percentage of the garbage that we see everywhere in the world surburbs ! Uh, you don’t read the american surburbs statistics, how many murdereds, rapeds, druggeds ? so, even if your surburbs aren’t populated by Maghrebins, your race crimes rates are higher than by us
#94 Marie Claude:
Your words “ten percent”. I just took your words and put a number to them using a low estimation of how many people who pratice the Muslim Faith live in France.
If you have a more accurate number post it.
but you didn’t read me !
If the stories I’ve read about the role of embedded rabbis in the recent assault on Gaza are correct, I don’t have a problem with the cartoon. If they aren’t, you should be concentrating your efforts debunking them rather than trying to compare anyone who criticizes Zionism with Nazis. I don’t object to Israel defending itself against missile attacks from Gaza, though I would liked to have seen a more gradual approach using targeted assassinations and automated, one for one retaliation (of sequentially increasing severity) for the incoming rockets. If Israel had to go into Gaza, they should have left the Rabbis at home; clergy (of all faiths) just stir up trouble these situations. The majority of Jews in Israel were born there and have as much right to live there as the citizens of any other country. But I have no sympathy for those who think that their particular sect of Judaism (or any other religion) gives them the right to seize land from its current owners based on a 2000 year old grudge; the stories I’ve read suggest that these rabbis were spouting the usual “God willed it to us” BS. I’m just as hostile to similar claims by Native American tribes, some Mexicans and any other irredentists that disrespect the property rights of others, though I suspect that Oliphant is too PC to go after them. If he is, you’re on solid ground criticizing him for having a double standard, but not for antisemitism.
PS: For what its worth, I though all the whining about the ape cartoon was much ado about nothing.