British newspaper “
The Independent” sparked debate and
condemnation from the Jewish community in the UK after publishing a cartoon on
Wednesday that compared Israel’s attack on Jenin to the Russian invasion of
Ukraine.
اضافة اعلان
The cartoonist,
Dave Brown, had previously faced criticism
for depicting former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon as a disfigured
monster devouring Palestinian children, according to a Palestinian media
outlet.
The cartoon portrays a Palestinian man lying on the ground
with his face down, surrounded by rubble while fighter jets are flying above
him. A sign for
Jenin with bullet holes stands near him. However, the man used
blood to transform Jenin into "Ukraine."
Next to the man, the cartoonist wrote, "Can you see me
now?"
The response
A spokesperson for the Jewish Leadership Council told the
"Jewish Chronicle" that this is "a clear attempt to deny
Israel's right of self-defense by making a false equation between Ukrainians
and armed Palestinian terrorists."
Jonathan Turner, from UK Lawyers for Israel, told the
Jerusalem Post that "the messages conveyed by the cartoon in The
Independent are completely wrong. Apart from overlooking the Palestinians, the
media coverage of the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis in the UK is
disproportionately biased compared to others around the world. Jenin is not
like Ukraine — if anything, it's the opposite. Such distortions lead to
anti-Semitism."
A spokesperson for the National Jewish Association (NJA)
told the Chronicle that the organization was "angry" about the
portrayal.
The newspaper quoted Gary Mond, the head of the NJA, saying,
"The Ukrainians are fighting because their lands have been invaded, and they
are not seeking to destroy Russia and kill all Russians, while the Palestinians
are fighting to destroy the Jewish state and kill or expel Jewish residents.
This is their declared goal."
Mond added that publishing such cartoons in “The Independent”,
which appear to equate Palestinian terrorists with Ukrainians, is an insult to
Ukraine and its people.
Mond later told the newspaper, "Furthermore, Israelis
have no plans to kill innocent Palestinian civilians. In fact, the recent Jenin
operation is a typical example of that. The Russians attacking Ukraine have no
such restrictions."
Some of those killed in the attacks on Jenin were teenagers,
including a 15-year-old boy. There were also over 90 injured Palestinians, many
of which were wounded by stray bullets, shrapnel, and debris.
Mond also accused the British media of bias against Israel,
citing a recent interview in which a BBC presenter told Naftali Bennett that
the Israeli army is happy to kill children.
Read more Region and World
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
