Post-Oct. 7 political cartoons in Arabic press invoke hateful anti-Jewish themes
New York, NY, December 21, 2023 … In the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre and Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, political cartoonists in the Arab press have doubled down on the use of hateful antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes, according to a report from ADL (the Anti-Defamation League).
The assessment of political cartoons appearing in a wide range of newspapers across the Middle East and in Arabic-language newspapers in the U.K. found widespread use of hateful antisemitic tropes, including the claim that Jews control U.S. politics, comparisons of Israel and Israeli leaders to Hitler, and frequent references to the blood libel – the charge that Jews consume the blood of their victims as part of a perverse religious ritual.
The report, “Antisemitism in Arab Cartoons During the Israel-Hamas War” found numerous examples of blatant antisemitism appearing in highly trafficked newspapers and websites in countries across the region, including publications in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
“The antisemitism we’re seeing in these political cartoons from across the region is completely unhinged and grotesque,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “It’s as if the cartoonists were trying to outdo each other in the level of sheer offensiveness. And there’s zero accountability in these countries, whose leaders are either willfully ignoring or implicitly encouraging these hateful depictions through their silence. After Oct. 7, we know where this heightened level of antisemitic incitement can lead in the Arab street.”
In addition to the use of a wide range of classic antisemitic conspiracies about Jews, many of the cartoons also cynically use Jewish religious symbols, including the menorah and the Star of David. Israel is repeatedly dehumanized and demonized as an animalistic killer of civilians.
ADL will be sharing copies of the report with members of Congress, the Biden Administration and officials in the U.S. State Department.
“ADL has been tracking antisemitic cartoons in the Arab press for more than two decades, and while we’ve raised the issue repeatedly with the leaders of many of these countries there’s been very little progress in fixing the problem,” said Marina Rosenberg, ADL SVP of International Affairs. “There is plenty of room for legitimate criticism of Israeli government policies and actions without resorting to classic antisemitic stereotypes.”
Examples from the report include:
- Israel is depicted as a Jewish Star with a Hitler haircut and moustache (Al-Masri Al-Yawm, Dec. 5).
- A cartoon depicts a Jewish puppeteer, marked by a Star of David, controlling the “Western media” (Al-Arabi Al-Jadid, UK, Dec. 2).
- A cartoon shows Israel “raising its flag on Shifa Hospital.” The flag is a Nazi swastika, the “hospital” is represented by skulls (Al-Masry Al-Yawm, Nov. 18).
- A blood-spattered Israeli prime minister is shown holding up a fork and knife while dining on skulls (Al-Sharq, Qatar, Nov. 16).
- The Gaza Strip as a piece of meat being skewered by a fork shaped like a menorah (Al-Ghad, Jordan, Nov. 14)
- The “Israeli government” depicted as a black-hatted Orthodox Jew with the world yelling in his ears (Arab News, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 8).
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is depicted drinking the blood of Gazans (Al-Ghad, Jordan, Nov. 7).
ADL’s online resource, “Antisemitism Uncovered,” traces the roots of the most common antisemitic myths and stereotypes – including many of those invoked by the Arab cartoonists. This resource sheds light on contemporary examples, and issues calls to action for addressing this historic hate.
ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all.