Friday Cartoon

Today is Friday. As often as I can, I try to find a political cartoon about Israel for you. 

Political cartoons are illustrative. They suggest in picture or caricature form what readers in a particular location might be thinking about regarding the cartoon topic. Today's cartoon doesn't disappoint.

This cartoon comes from Europe. It comes from that bastion of liberal multiculturalism--where all are equal--Norway. It was first printed in a Norwegian daily newspaper. It was reprinted in Israel, in the timesofisrael on August 7, 2018 (here).

Norway has reason to feel it's one of the world's finest democracies (here). But this bed of democratic 'roses' has thorns. Norway has a growing Muslim population--a population that appears to grow so quickly some worry that Norwegians could become a minority in their own country (here). Those people worry about what that might mean for their safety (ibid).

Then there's the issue of Muslims and Jews in Norway. There are less than 1,000 Jews in Norway. There are perhaps 150,000 Muslims (estimates appear to range from 120,000 - 160,000). This difference affects how Muslims are perceived by Norway's elite (here). It affects how Jews are treated.

As of December, 2017, most Jews in Norway don't feel safe. They feel the pressure of anti-semitism (here). They appear not to have a favored status--at least, not as favored as Muslims. Today's cartoon from Norway may support such an observation. 

This anti-Israel cartoon has two elements to it. The first is, of course, the anti-Israel depiction of Israel's Jewish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu punching an Arab-looking man in the face, to kick the man off a bench that has on it a sign that reads, 'whites only'.

But the cartoon is more nuanced than that. The cartoon has a Jew-as-Nazi connection. 

Take a look at the picture. See if you can spot the Nazi reference.

source (here)


Did you find the Nazi connection? If you didn't see it, look at Netanyahu's arms and legs. Look how he is portrayed as holding arms/hands and legs/feet in a way that suggests the shape of the Nazi swastika. Do you see that shape? It's certainly subtle, but it's there.

So there it is: Netanyahu is cruel. He's a Jew. He's a Nazi. He harms an Arab because he is a 'whites only' racist.

This cartoon does more than paint Israel or Israel's leader as cruel. It sends a dangerous message.

What do you think Norway's Muslims will think of such a characterization? More important for Norway's Jewish population, how do you think Jews in Norway will feel to see this cartoon, with its anti-Israel intent--and, potentially, an  anti-Jew message?