Tracking the fallout, reactions and details of the NYT antisemitic cartoon scandal

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN

On April 27 media around the world began to react to an antisemitic cartoon that appeared in the April 25 edition, page 16, of the International Edition of The New York Times.

My coverage and reactions

Reactions

• The New York Times says it made an error.

• New York Times International Edition editor re-tweets the editor’s note at around 3pm London time.

• US Ambassador Richard Grenell condemns the cartoon.

• Donald Trump Jr. slams the cartoon.

• Barak Ravid notes that the NYT has not actually apologized.

• AJC slams the lack of apology “Apology not accepted. How many @nytimes editors looked at a cartoon that would not have looked out of place on a white supremacist website and thought it met the paper’s editorial standards? What does this say about your processes or your decision makers? How are you fixing it?” Jake Tapper at CNN re-tweets this. AJC also wrote “Naked antisemitism such as in this image is not “an error of judgment.” We have to wonder if the NYT editors would’ve published a similar cartoon depicting any other country or people.”

• Bryan Leib notes “It’s sad that NYT Opinion would publish this anti-semitic filfth but when two of the youngest Jewish American Congressional candidates send the #nytimes an op-ed calling on #Congress to get serious & to act immediately to fund #Holocaust #Education– they won’t publish it.”

• Joshua Zeitz “Funny that they didn’t pull that shit in the US edition, published in New York City, with the largest metro area Jewish population in the disaspora. It’s almost like they may actually have known it was offensive.”
• Joyce Karam “The cartoon is disgusting and sloppy, more so for being printed in NYTimes. Good that they issued a statement, retracted it but this is alarming. Many publications peddle anti-semitism, racism, Islomophobia in Middle East but they are not the New York Times. Unfortunate.”

• Yashar Ali writes “Here’s the anti-Semitic cartoon that the NYT published”

• Neontaster makes a graphic showing why it is anti-semitic. Noting “There is ZERO substantive need for the yarmulke or the Star of David if it is merely about U.S.-Israel geopolitics. If they were afraid people wouldn’t recognize Netanyahu they’d have used an Israeli flag.” https://twitter.com/neontaster/status/1122158823601528833

• Kobby Barda head of “GAL” program for community leadership, The academic center for Law and Science, says he helped bring this to the attention of multiple people. “We won, the New York Post apologizes for an antisemitic caricature. My lesson from the story? Not to give up when you see evil and injustice, to stand up for your rights and not to remain silent. Especially during the week of Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel.”

• Harry Cherry at The Jewish Voice “This apology isn’t enough. How many editors approved it? How did it make it’s way into the paper? There needs to be a wide-reaching investigation.”

• Peter Lerner says “1. Are you still working with the “news service and syndicate”? 2. What steps are you doing so that there is a price to pay for spreading such hateful incitement?”
• Congressman Lee Zeldin: “Absolutely disgraceful & classless anti-Semitic pic…If I posted a pic like this, substituting this imagery w other ppl I opposed in politics & included religious symbols, the Times would report & editorialize on it calling for my head. Sick double standards at play.”

• Adam Milstein, one of the first to tweet the image, “Another disgusting display of vile antisemitic trope celebrated in the @nytimesworld.   The NYT is signaling to the world that antisemitism is real, here, and welcome.” He also notes “The “artist” behind the vile anti Semitic cartoon published by the NY Times is Antonio Expresso of Lisbon Portugal.”  Actually the name of the cartoonist is “Antonio” and it appeared in Expresso.
• Anshel Pfeffer “The NY Times cartoon of Netanyahu as guide-dog for blind Trump would also have been a harsh but fair depiction of their relationship. But the moment Trump has a kippah and Netanyahu a Star of David, it veered sharply in to antisemitic territory. Truly incredible it was published.”
• The Persistence “We’ve seen enough Jewish hatred from democrat leaders, like Ilhan Omar, & now the media is outright attacking the Jewish community.”
• Mark Dubowitz “For years, the NYT has normalized hatred for Israel. Now, it is normalizing hatred for Jews. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.”

• Alex Pierson connects the cartoon the synagogue attack in California “have some thoughts and prayers to send to those Jews gunned down in their place of worship on the final day of pesach?!”
• Lenny Ben-David “The NYT considers itself immune from criticism, protected by First Amendment. That’s not diplomatic immunity. Maybe the Israeli Foreign Ministry needs to call in NYT bureau chief to issue a demarche & warning that press credentials will be cancelled.”

Updates

• Lahav Harkov: “Source tells me NY Times office in NY was genuinely surprised and disturbed by the cartoon. Someone in the International NY Times office in France should answer for this.”

• Luis Goldschmidt notes “In Portugal, the newspaper Expresso published the same cartoon last week. It is sign by Antonio, a famous Portuguese cartoonist. But Expresso told me it’s an editorial opinion. What a shame. The Jew is a dog! Terrible. Has the NYT copied the cartoon? It’s exactly the same one!” It appears further details on the cartoonist can be found here.

• Axios claims the NYT apologized, even though it didn’t.
• Free Beacon covers the cartoon scandal