Editorial cartoonists in the Arab world are using direct or borderline anti-Semitism in their portrayal of the presumptive U.S. presidential candidates as lackeys of the Jews and Israel. The American elections have provided an excuse for the Arab media to promulgate perverse, bigoted and age-old conspiracy theories that portray Israelis and Jews as controlling the candidates, according to a report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) issued today.
The U.S. Presidential Candidates: Cartoons in the Arab Media cites numerous examples appearing in newspapers across the Middle East. The cartoons ignore the issues of the campaign and instead engage in hate-filled characterizations of Jews and overt racist stereotypes.
“From Gaza to Ramallah, from Bahrain to Damascus, from Cairo to Riyadh, the press has unleashed a fusillade of virulent anti-Jewish images accusing Senators Barack Obama and John McCain as handmaidens of the Jews or the Israel lobby,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. “Once again, the Arab media does not miss an opportunity to promote classic anti-Semitic conspiracy theories of Jewish control over Washington, the media and the democratic process.”
Mr. Foxman, who is currently in Israel, added: “Their aim is not to provoke discussion or challenge ideas, but to spread horrific stereotypes of Jews. Some cartoons also use classical racist stereotypes to portray Senator Obama.”
He noted that ADL provided the report to the McCain and Obama campaigns, saying, “We are confident that the candidates reject these disturbing images and messages in these political cartoons from the Arab world.”
A sampling of cartoons highlighted in the report include:
*”The Wagon to the White House,” showing Senator Obama popping out of the pant-seat of a Jew (Ar-Risala, Palestinian Authority).
*”The American Elections,” showing Senators Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain all vying to catch a cauldron of snakes, dangled over their heads by an evil Jewish Grim Reaper (Tishrin, Syria).
*”Zionist Lobby,” which shows Obama in the pocket of a stereotypical vicious, bearded, black-hatted Jew (Akhbar al Khalij, Bahrain).
The League’s report includes cartoons and statements appearing in the Arab press this summer. It includes editorial cartoons appearing in Palestinian Authority and Hamas-affiliated newspapers, and in newspapers in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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5 Responses
Obama went to the Kosel, spreading out his campaign posters all around the Kosel.
And then one man at the Wall began repeating: “Obama, Jerusalem is our land! Obama, Jerusalem is not for sale!”
He kept saying this for Obama’s entire 10 minutes at the Wall, refusing to stop despite repeated entreaties to do so from the entourage.
Obama chatted with the men with whom he’d come to the Wall, before walking to the Wall to place a note he had previously written in the Wall.
The protester, continued repeating his words.
Obama turned from the Wall and walked back to his crowd. Some young men tried their best to drown out the protester, chanting, “Obama! Obama! Obama!”
After shaking some hands, Obama got back in his motorcade and headed to the airport.
“It was rowdier than the last time I was there, you know?” Obama told reporters on the plane. “I mean, people were sort of, like, holerin’. You know I was expecting more reverence.”
you know its amazing to see that even though we are so small compared to the rest of the world its always about us!!
#3
for the world zionists and jews are all the same thing–even though we don’t see it that way, thats just the way it is—what now?!
This article is not even newsworthy. So what else is new? Let this be the worst display of anti-semitism from the arab world.
#3.
No, don’t read “zionist”. Read “Jewish”. That’s what it says, and that’s what they mean. And there was no shortgage of anti-semitism in the World before “zionism” was invented. And if we go and stick our heads in the sand to make sure we don’t “provoke” anyone, it’s not going to change anything, just as historically it never did. It is enough provocation for them that we learn Torah and practice our religion. And even when Ba’avonoseinu Harrabbim, we don’t. It seems to me that one thing that might cause Hashem to come to our aid and defeat anti-semitism, is unity.