Another anti-Semitic Cartoon?
Over at SimplyJews I found this little gem in relation to the cartoon above:
Republican Tea Party organizers of Ron Paul supporters' faction using a clearly anti-Semitic flyer:
Followed by a bit of conspiratorial stuff about Paul (I hardly know this guy, to be honest) and how some 'Nazis' and 'communists' apparently endorse him, little is made to clarify the point that this flyer is somehow anti-Semitic. I placed a comment explaining why in my honest opinion there is nothing anti-Semitic about this cartoon but Snotty (sorry, Snoopy the Goon) deleted it without fanfare (another Eustonite who like his buddy Terry Glavin has no problem suppressing opinion that counters theirs when it comes to Israel and Zionism).
Let me first state that I can't read the caption (but it's reasonable to assume that Snotty can't either).
The imagery however is clearly satirical aggrandisement of the financial relationship between the US and Israel (the latter which has in the past, present and will continue for the next ten years at least to receive $ 3,000,000,000 in aid from the US) and the inescapable truth that at least some of that money is a constant source of Palestinian suffering.
This cartoon is critical of Israel and Zionism but not anti-Semitic.
I can only guess that Ron Paul is a fiscal Conservative and is advocating cutting aid to Israel and thus reduce the amount of American tax payers money used to rain misery on an oppressed and stateless people. For this stance, Ron Paul gets my approval, regardless of any other opinion he may hold.
posted by Gert @ 3:49 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
It is pretty spot on, really.
BTW the caption reads:
"The ongoing extermination of Palestinian children can't be done without your help!"
Well, that wouldn't have been my own choice of words but it's clearly a satirical shock tactic, designed to make American tax payers think and provoke discussion.
Ron Paul and his supporters are anti-tax in general. Cutting aid to Israel is just a small part of their agenda. I'm pretty sure you vehemently oppose the rest of it. They think taxes to pay for government services even within the United States is evil. It's just easier to literally paint Israel as a villain than, let's say, sick and elderly recipients of Medicare or children attending public schools.
Is the cartoon anti-Semitic? I'd say it's borderline at the very least. The death of children is mentioned alongside a bottle of blood. It may not have been their intention, but it certainly did remind me immediately of the classic "Jews drink kids' blood" claim.
Also, claiming that Israel is exterminating Palestinian children (or Palestinians in general), thereby comparing Israel to Nazi Germany, is beyond legitimate criticism.
Emm:
The connection to the blood-libel is really spurious, IMHO.
Why not (like you seem to do) criticise the cartoon instead of throwing a blank and bland accusation of anti-Semitism at it, like Snoopy did?
Ron Paul's a libertarian, not my cup of tea. But I could agree with some of his stuff and not with other stuff. Same here with Obama, for instance.
If it's about Israel and the Jews, and not praising of Israel and the Jews, then it's antisemitic.
Okay, that's it RJ, you're an anti-Semite!
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