New York – The Simon Wiesenthal Center is denouncing an animated cartoon on the Washington Post’s You Tube channel depicting Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly pounding a baby in the face. The cartoon, titled “Israel pounds Hamas targets”, was produced by Ann Telnaes, an editorial cartoonist for the Post’s Opinion page. (see screen capture below).
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
“It is disgusting that the Washington Post would present an animated cartoon that is so profoundly removed from the truth,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Wiesenthal Center. “Millions of Israeli citizens—men, women, and children—have been forced into bomb shelters and saferooms by thousands of missiles and rockets targeted at them by Hamas terrorists, whose open and avowed goal is the destruction of the Jewish state,” he continued.
“Even Israel’s enemies have recognized that Israel’s military countermeasures against Hamas have included phone and text warnings as well as leaflets urging innocent civilians in Gaza to vacate the targeted areas,” Cooper said. “It is the Hamas leadership that openly uses the people of Gaza to act as human shields to protect their weapons of mass destruction,” he added.
“Israelis are saddened by the deaths of four Palestinian children on a Gaza beach yesterday, but the blood of these innocent children is on the hands of Hamas leaders, not Benjamin Netanyahu,” Rabbi Cooper also said.
“While we regard Telnaes’ right to free speech, it would be important that the Washington Post make it clear that this disgusting animation doesn’t represent their views,” Cooper concluded.
Beyond the pale of acceptability. Somebody needs to be fired immediately.
If they had depicted the Muslim Muhammad instead in a bad light, there would be riots around the world, followed by an Immediate mea culpa from the Washington post and the cartoonist.
For what it’s worth, I “disliked” and reported the video on Youtube.
Maybe it’s time not to be saddened by the deaths of Arab children and then the Post will start showing respect to human life, I don’t see them being saddened by the lose of life in Syria or Egypt, nothing more than a bunch of anti Jews.
we must make a huge outcry so this lady never draws a cartoon again! If it was depicting other minorities there would be an aoutrage!
Ann should be punched hard in the face a few times.
Another liberal media source heads to bite the dust. Who can we ever trust when Israel has horrible troubles? I give to Aipac and many humane charities. Where is the outcry against yoga applied to our faces? This is ridiculous. Maybe we need a war time charity for helping the human spirit. Call it Durable Peace Initiative. Someone has to keep the voice of Israel in the press. Outlandishly hateful!
The cartoon by Ann Telnacs is Just another reason not to read the WP or believe the press these days. Why don’t you present the facts rather than a biased, provocative cartoon that is not even accurate? Do your editors even vet what gets printed? Shame. She, and the editor of Opinions, should be fired.
Why not show Hamas pounding the Israelis? That is the truth, not this vicious and inaccurate cartoon. Hamas is the aggressor, of course, and Ann T is definitely biased and probably quite ignorant of the facts as well. Don’t your editors vet what is printed? They along with this cartoonist should be fired for stupidity, let alone their false presentation of current events.
It would be more accurate if it depicted the Israeli repeatedly beating the snot out of a terrorist. But who wants to draw the truth? Not the WP!
Come here Washington Compost, let me punch you, you blatant liar!
why is there not more publicity and pleading how israel is living today constantly under the rain of rockets, constantly running to the shelters, no day no night no life under constant fear for their lives and of their families and children. why not more of an outcry then maybe some big ignoramuses will get the picture???