Sunday Times Publishes Apology For Offensive Cartoon
February 3, 2013 13:57 by Simon Plosker
The Gerald Scarfe cartoon published in The Sunday Times on Holocaust Memorial Day provoked a wave of almost unprecedented outrage. HonestReporting weighed in on the issue, joined by many other organizations and concerned individuals and the image, here on the right, was just one response that we produced.
An opinion piece by Managing Editor Simon Plosker was also published by The Algemeiner where we asked the question:
But what would have happened had this same cartoon, portraying a crude caricature of Israeli PM Netanyahu building a wall using blood for mortar while crushing Palestinians, been published on any other day than International Holocaust Remembrance Day?
To its credit The Sunday Times sent emails of apology to everyone who wrote complaints and has published an apology. As it’s behind a pay wall, we are reproducing it in full here:
Last week we published, as we have almost every week since 1967, a cartoon by Gerald Scarfe. His works are brutal and bloody and his opinions are his own, not those of this newspaper. The Sunday Times has always understood and reported the legitimate security concerns of the state of Israel.
It is one thing to attack and caricature a leader — and it is as legitimate to attack Israeli leaders in cartoons as anyone else. But it is another thing to reflect in a caricature, even unintentionally, historical iconography that is persecutory or anti-semitic.
The image we published of Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, which appeared to show him revelling in the blood of Palestinians, crossed a line. The image would have been a mistake on any day but the fact that last Sunday was Holocaust Memorial Day compounded the error.
We realise that we caused grave offence, however unintended, which detracted from a day that marks one of the greatest evils in human history.
The Sunday Times abhors anti-semitism and racism of any type and we would never set out to offend the Jewish people — or indeed any other ethnic or religious group. The publication of last week’s cartoon was a very serious mistake.
We apologise unreservedly.
We certainly hope that lessons have been learned and not only on the part of The Sunday Times and the media at large. This result is incontrovertible proof that when enough people take action, a model promoted by HonestReporting, it can achieve a positive outcome.
Heather Kennedy
12:02 am
Feb 26, 2013
“Shlomo” — You really are a pathetic little person, aren’t you?
Just a sad little man.
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steven L
2:58 am
Mar 03, 2013
BBC, Guardian, Sunday T and most western mass media are antisemites. They are not biased. We are still waiting to learn about the in-house report confirming the antisemitic core values of the BBC. Some are orientalists other are financed by petro$.
The fear of retribution from the ME petro-countries explains only partially the behavior of the West, Europe in particular.
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Augustus Silverton
1:51 pm
Mar 12, 2013
I hereby postulate not to accept the “Sunday Times”‘s, or anyone’s “apology” for deeds which CANNOT ever BE EXCUSED, such as extreme or even slight violence, or public or even private racist or otherwise discriminatory and derogatory remarks.
I hereby state also, that I hereby threaten politically and legally, even, against any instance, who would accept that apology.
This is no time to accept excuses. We the single people suffer, are BEATEN IN OUR FACES, BY NEONAZIS, MUSLIMS WHO PRAISE HITLER AND HATE JEWS. happened to ME. NOSE BROKEN LIP SPLIT. UNWARNED ATTACK. FOR ME BEIN A JEW.
not all Muslims are like that. But still too many.
End of statement.
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Augustus Silverton
2:00 pm
Mar 12, 2013
Steven L, you said: ” … The fear of retribution from the ME petro-countries explains only partially the behavior of the West, Europe in particular. … ”
- Totally correct. Thanks for the info.
In this case, the West will suffer even more, meaning, all the poor people in the West.
I exchange this gladly in return for Israel.
Meaning: The people in USA and Europe will either rebel against that antisemitic press, or, Europe’s and USA’s govs will loose the trust of their people. I have spoken, all People.
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Augustus Silverton
2:07 pm
Mar 12, 2013
so EVIL OIL people like the still existing CHAVEZCO and CHINA OIL And SURELY RUSSIA (MEDVEDEV: ANTISEMITE !!! REWARDED ANTISEMITIC AUTHOR !!!) too, they are ALL working AGAINST ISRAEL.
aha.
therefore, the oil is evil. when delivered to evil jihadists.
if USA doesn’t step into Syria now, the world is lost. I see that. China should be thrown out of the United Nations. I don’t recognize a by china’s constant vetoes totally obstructed non-acting “United Nations”. China’s government has done massmurder to 200 million Chinese under mao, and has continued that under Jiang Zemin (massmurdered around four MILLION harmless “Falun Gong” 1999-2007).
Where today is The Nixon who helped a GOLDA MEIR?
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