The New York Times has been well known for its extreme disapproval for President Trump. However, they may have taken it one step too far in this Sunday’s edition. The publication is now experiencing a slew of backlash for publishing a cartoon that many deemed to be inappropriate and anti-semitic. The particular cartoon in question features Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a dog on a leash. On his collar, is the Star of David, a very sacred Jewish symbol. The person holding the leash is President Trump, who appears to be blind, according to CNN .
The cartoon appeared in the opinion section of the print edition of the New York Times which is sent out internationally. The offensive drawing will likely be viewed by thousands of people of various races, cultures, and religions all over the world. Next to it was a column by writer Thomas Friedman which focused on the controversial issue of immigration that has served as once of the focal points of Trump’s presidency.
Picture 1 of Anti-Semitic cartoon:
Jews lead Winston Churchill – published by Nazi Germany in 1940
Picture 2 of Anti-Semitic cartoon:
Jews lead Trump – published by the New York Times 2019 pic.twitter.com/xe86bGdt9x
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 28, 2019
Many upset readers flocked to social media to criticize the New York Times for the having the nerve to publish a cartoon that was so obviously offensive to such a large group of people. Some though that it was in particularly poor taste given the tragic events that have occurred in the world recently targeting religious groups. Synagogues, mosques, and Christian churches have been destroyed around the world in hate-fueled attacks just in the past six weeks.
The publication certainly heard the complaints and were quick to issue a public statement in which they apologized for the cartoon and its controversial message. The New York Times acknowledged that when considering how many people are already suffering as a result of persecution and injustice, content such as this is particularly uncalled for and only adds fuel to the fire. Finally, the publication stated that they’d be further investigating the matter and implied that they’d be making some major changes in the near future.
“We are deeply sorry for the publication of an anti-Semitic political cartoon last Thursday in the print edition of The New York Times that circulates outside of the United States, and we are committed to making sure nothing like this happens again. Such imagery is always dangerous, and at a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise worldwide, it’s all the more unacceptable. The matter remains under review, and we are evaluating our internal processes and training. We anticipate significant changes.”
