After Fierce Backlash, ‘Guardian’ Apologizes for Shocking Antisemitic Cartoon

UK (VINnews) — The Guardian, a widely read British Daily, has apologized for an antisemitic cartoon it published, using a nasty trope to depict Jewish ex-BBC chairman Richard Sharp.

In addition, the cartoonist who drew the image also apologized, while admitting that he knew Sharp was Jewish.

The cartoon was published in response to Sharp quitting the BBC, after it was revealed that he secretly helped former prime minister Boris Johnson secure a large loan, thus creating a conflict of interest.

The cartoon features a caricature of Johnson sitting on a mound of garbage with sacks of money, saying “cheer up, matey! I put you down for a peerage in my resignation honours list” to a caricature of Sharp who can be seen carrying a box of belongings. The box is a Goldman Sachs box and seems to be full of gold coins. Two other objects can be seen in the box – a squid and a head with a massive nose that seems to be wearing a black kippa.

Dave Rich, an expert in antisemitism, said that squids are a “common antisemitic motif” that relates to fake antisemitic conspiracy theories that Jews have tentacles wrapped around people they are looking to control.

https://twitter.com/BellaWallerstei/status/1652216561766133760

“You might argue that outsized facial features and tentacles are common to other topics too, so it’s just a cartoon thing,” he said. “Except where something has a long and familiar antisemitic history, it takes on a different meaning when you apply it to Jews.”

In its apology the newspaper said: “We understand the concerns that have been raised. This cartoon does not meet our editorial standards, and we have decided to remove it from our website. The Guardian apologises to Mr Sharp, to the Jewish community and to anyone offended.”

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Cartoonist Martin Rowson also apologized, claiming while he knew Sharp is Jewish, his Jewishness never crossed his mind.

“Satirists, even though largely licenced to speak the unspeakable in liberal democracies, are no more immune to [messing] things up than anyone else, which is what I did here.

“I know Richard Sharp is Jewish; actually, while we’re collecting networks of cronyism, I was at school with him, though I doubt he remembers me. “His Jewishness never crossed my mind as I drew him as it’s wholly irrelevant to the story or his actions, and it played no conscious role in how I twisted his features according to the standard cartooning playbook.”

A statement on Martin Rowson cartoon:

"We understand the concerns that have been raised. This cartoon does not meet our editorial standards, and we have decided to remove it from our website.

"The Guardian apologises to Mr Sharp, to the Jewish community and to anyone offended."

— Guardian Comms (@GuardianComms) April 29, 2023

Rowson also uploaded a statement to his personal website, appearing to justify his actions.

“The portrayal of Sharp takes up 3% of the overall image,” he wrote. “I was trying to draw him looking silently furious, by implication with Johnson, in the standard caricatural way common to all political cartoons of exaggerating various of his features

The cartoon drew sharp criticism and backlash from politicians and other leaders.

In fact, Johnson himself said that Rowson should resign over the cartoon, according to the Daily Mail.

“Frankly, whoever commissioned and printed this has made a far worse mistake than Richard Sharp,” he said. “They should take his lead.”

“It is extraordinary that so many classic anti-Jewish motifs were squeezed into one cartoon without The Guardian editors objecting,” said co-director of Labour Against Antisemitism Alex Hearn.

It takes a lot to shock me. And I am well aware of the Guardian's and especially Rowson's form. But I still find it genuinely shocking that not a single person looked at this and said, no, we can't run this. To me that's the real issue. pic.twitter.com/1QHfjGW6Ok

— Stephen Pollard (@stephenpollard) April 29, 2023

“It takes a lot to shock me,” said former Jewish Chronicle editor Stephen Pollard. “And I am well aware of the Guardian’s and especially Rowson’s form. But I still find it genuinely shocking that not a single person looked at this and said, no, we can’t run this. To me, that’s the real issue.”