Congressmen join former ambassador to Israel and journalists in slamming the newspaper.
Y SETH J. FRANTZMAN APRIL 29, 2019 03:07
Condemnations of The New York Times increased over the weekend after the paper’s international edition published an antisemitic cartoon. The offensive image was of a blind US President Donald Trump wearing a yarmulke, being walked by a dog with the face of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and wearing a Star of David collar. Despite the paper calling it an “error of judgment” to publish it, congressmen and Jewish organizations joined the chorus of outrage.
US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell called the cartoon “despicable,” and the American Jewish Committee said it was “naked antisemitism.”
Congressman Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas, 2nd District) wrote that “even if unintentional, the Left has normalized antisemitism under the guise of criticizing US-Israel foreign policy.” Other members of Congress were also shocked.
“Absolutely disgraceful and classless antisemitic pic,” tweeted Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-NY, 1st District).
Many journalists also felt that the cartoon was offensive.
“This cartoon is disgusting and sloppy,” write Joyce Karam of The National.
“This apology isn’t enough,” Harry Cherry of The Jewish Voice wrote, echoing many sentiments that felt the Times claim that it was an error in judgment wasn’t tough enough condemnation. “There needs to be a wide-ranging investigation.” Channel 13’s Barak Ravid wrote that an apology was also missing.
Yashar Ali, a contributor to New York Magazine, was one of those, whose condemnations on social media soon after the cartoon came to light and helped drive awareness. Philanthropist Adam Milstein and Gal program community leadership head Kobby Barda also were among those who spread the alarm on social media before the cartoon was widely known. Seth Mandel at The Washington Examiner said it was a “perfect example of why it’s getting tougher to unite to fight antisemitism.”
Mark Dubowitz, chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said that the cartoon normalizes hatred for Jews.
“Antisemitism does not come from one direction: it’s on the Right and the Left,” wrote Holocaust expert Deborah Lipstadt. “If you only see it in the opposite side of where you stand politically then you are blind in at least one eye and turning the fight against it into a political weapon.”
“The more I think about the NYT ‘cartoon,’ the more appalled I am,” wrote David Harris, CEO of the American Jewish Committee.
Famed attorney Alan Dershowitz wrote that, “anti-Zionism is becoming an acceptable cover for antisemitism” and that the paper “owes its readers more than an apology.”
Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum said that the cartoon was “absolutely disgusting,” and like many, said that words could not adequately convey the outrage.
“So. Are we clear now that NYT folks can no longer pin the rise of antisemitism on the far Right? Retraction or not, nobody has done more to mainstream it than NYT in this one moment,” tweeted David Hazony, former editor-in-chief at Azure and The Tower.
The growing list of global condemnations from different sides of the political spectrum and from politicians and journalists illustrate the wide-ranging impact the cartoon has had. Published in Thursday’s print edition during the end of Passover, it was not widely noticed until Friday night. The paper removed it online on Saturday.
Source: Jerusalem Post