New York Times syndication service abandons antisemitic cartoon

A Time A spokesman spoke exclusively to the Daily Beast about the newspaper's decision to stop using cartoons, in particular CartoonArts, the New York-based syndicate that provides Time and other newspapers with more than 30 cartoons each week through the Times Licensing Group for several decades.

The announcement comes after The Daily Beast has been transmitted to the Time a complaint by Jonathan Greenblatt, executive director of the Anti-Defamation League, about a second cartoon published this weekend in the international newspaper edition.

This one portrayed Netanyahu dressed in Moses, prophet of the Old Testament, wearing sunglasses while he was descending from a mountain while holding a selfie stick in one hand and, from there Another, raising a stone tablet adorned with the Jewish star.

"It was like the Ten Commandments," Greenblatt told The Daily Beast. "It may not have been as anti-Semitic as the first drawing, but it was clearly insensitive and absolutely shocking after the first propaganda document."

After a request for comment, Eileen Murphy, the TimeHead of Communications, said by e-mail: "The caricature in the Times International print edition on Thursday was clearly anti-Semitic and indefensible and we apologize for its publication. Although we do not think this [second] The cartoon belongs to this category. For the moment, we have decided to suspend the future publication of the caricatures subscribed.

In an interview, Greenblatt called the newspaper's excuses – which were published Sunday – "a good start but that's not enough," and added, "We need action and responsibility. We do not need to apologize at this point.

Criticisms of Greenblatt – that he said he personally signed up to "the management of The New York Times"- arrives at a time when a seemingly white nationalist slaughtered Passover worshipers Saturday morning in a synagogue in Southern California, causing several injuries and a 60-year-old woman killed.

The ADL is preparing to release a report Tuesday reporting an alarming increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the United States from year to year.

"the New York Times sets the tone of the public conversation, "said Greenblatt, adding that the publication of the first cartoon" is an example of the standardization of anti-Semitism that preoccupies so much ADL. And in an environment where anti-Semitism is rising … where people like this weekend's shooter are inspired by these conspiracy theories that Jews exercise excessive control, that they manipulate events to then see The New York Times to publish a propaganda that clearly indicates that Jews have excessive control or that they manipulate events is unacceptable. "

Greenblatt said that in his conversations with the Time'Leaders,' I strongly encourage them to do more. Frankly, it's too late. We will continue to apply all we can … There is a deep problem here, and it needs to be addressed. Fighting anti-Semitism is not something to do after the fact. This must happen before an incident happens … I think Time must take corrective action in advance to make sure this never happens again. "

the Time first published the caricature of Thursday as "a misjudgment" but did not apologize. After a storm of criticism, the newspaper issued a statement in which it was written: "We are deeply sorry" and wish: "[W]We are determined to ensure that nothing like this happens again.

Greenblatt added, "They absolutely need policies and procedures … They need clarification on how these decisions are made. And the person who would make such a decision to publish such a cartoon, I think it's pretty obvious that they do not have the judgment necessary to be in an institution such as the Time… I think that they need a thorough review and a review of how these decisions are made. I do not know, was it a person? Several people? I do not think it's very clear at this point. It was not a mistake of judgment, it was a moral failure. It was not a writing error.

the Time initially blamed the publication of the cartoon on an unidentified publisher who "was working without proper supervision" because of a "flawed process", according to a Time story.

Time Columnist Bret Stephens also commented on Sunday: "The newspaper owes an apology to the Israeli prime minister. He needs to think seriously about how he came to publish this cartoon – and to its publication, for many longtime readers, as a shock but not a surprise. "

Greenblatt, for its part, called Time management to "institute training to raise staff awareness of anti-Semitism. Obviously, they need it to ensure that they deal with these issues with a particular focus on the facts rather than perpetuating prejudices. And thirdly, I think they owe it to their readers to educate them about the lingering poison of anti-Jewish hate. "

Murphy declined to comment on Greenblatt's recommendation to begin awareness sessions, or his suggestion that the editor (s) involved should not work on behalf of Time.