(Cartoon published in at least two Arabic newspapers.)
by Frank James
Cartoons in the Arab world often depict Israel and Jews in anti-Semitic ways.
Now, with the world's attention on the U.S. presidential race, the same Arab cartoonists are interpolating Senators John McCain and Barack Obama into their anti-Israel, anti-Zionist and ant-Jewish cartoons.
The Anti-Defamation League has collected some of the cartoons in an alert it produced this week. Many of them make the New Yorker's infamous cartoon look pretty tame.
Many of the cartoons have essentially the same theme, that both candidates are in Israel's thrall.
Here's the meat of ADL's press release:
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. Appearing in Arab and Muslim newspapers published in the Middle East and the Gulf countries, the cartoons and caricatures focus on four main themes which reflect a deeply rooted sentiment in the Arab world:
* The close relationship between America and Israel and/or the Jews;
* The influence of the Jewish lobby on American decision makers;
* Jewish control of the Western media and economics;
* The American administration's unwavering desire to satisfy Israel and American Jews.
The Arab media use these ideas to feed into another common theme: that Jewish/Israeli control of American politics and America's desire to cater to Jewish/Israeli demands is the cause of the Arab suffering and oppression.
Assuming the cartoons accurately depict public opinion in much of the Arab world, it's fairly clear that there's strong sentiment in Arab countries that there wouldn't be much difference between an Obama or a McCain Mideast policy.
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Comments
Excellent work regurgitating the ADL's talking points. Nevermind that numerous stories show that Obama and McCain are vigorously courting Jews and Israel. If Arabs are discussing Israel and the dynamic of the Israel/American relationship in any possible way IT IS SLANDER!
Posted by: Ahsan | July 24, 2008 10:29 AM
Hasn't our own news media said repeatedly that you cannot win the white house without the Israeli lobby being in your court? It's not anti-semetic to have issues with Israel, when all we want as citizens is for the president to be President of the U.S.
Some of those toons are definitely anti-semitic. But some are valid political commentary. Anti-Israel does NOT mean Anti-Semite.
Posted by: Joe | July 24, 2008 12:44 PM
But I thought that Obama's skin color, middle name, sort-of-maybe Muslim background, superfly eloquence, progressive policies and three-point-shooting ability would make Muslims everywhere throw down their weapons and embrace America as a wonderful force for good in the world? I'm sure these Arab cartoonists are just confused. It's probably because they haven't read "Dreams from My Father" or visited Obama's Web site or attended one of his speeches.
Posted by: JB | July 24, 2008 12:49 PM
I'm sorry I don't see anything perverse, bigoted conspiracy riddled about cartoons that point to the close relationship between American and Israel which no one denies (not even the candidates), the influence of the Jewish lobby (that everyone factors into politics even the candidates), or the influence of Israel on the West; including media which is self evident by just this story. I'd like to see some of the political cartoons from Israel. I'm sure non of them are anti-Palestinian or anti-Arab. Those on the other hand are just politics. Israel and their friends should stop hiding behind antisemitism and start working their problems out with their neighbors even if that means they have to take one for the team somewhere.
Posted by: Moe | July 24, 2008 8:08 PM
This is anti-Arab hate rhetoric. Why can't Arabs comment on issues in the manner that they see them? They are commenting on Israel, not Judaism. Their commentary is accurate and is politically incorrect to bring up in America because there is so much anti-Arab hate here.
Posted by: Mark | July 25, 2008 11:28 AM
Anti-Semitic means you are against Semites (Akkadians, Canaanites, Phoenicians, and Arabs)
I am surprised that anyone who would use that term believes that the African Jewish peoples who were enslaved by Egyptians and then escaped to the Middle East are now Semites.
If you are against the Jews you are Anti-African.
Posted by: Curly | August 17, 2008 8:18 PM