A review of malicious anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic cartoons systematically and continuously published in Jordan’s popular daily Ad-Dustour

Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S)

June 25 , 2006

A review of malicious anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic cartoons systematically and continuously published in Jordan ’s popular daily Ad-Dustour

A comparison between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Hitler, both giving a Nazi salute. This is yet another incarnation of a theme that frequently appears in many cartoons published in the Arab world (Ad-Dustour, April 13, 2006).

Overview

Since the outbreak of the violent confrontation between Israel and the Palestinians (late September 2000), there has been an escalation of anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic incitement in Jordan, contrary to the official policy of the Jordanian regime.

The Jordanian government, which signed a peace treaty with Israel, is interested in diminishing the blatant expressions of the incitement, driven primarily by the concern that such incitement could compromise its relations with the US and Israel. However, it does not take effective, consistent measures to put an end to this phenomenon, which is exemplified by the malicious cartoons systematically and continuously published in the popular daily Ad-Dustour.

A semi-government publication, Ad-Dustour is one of Jordan’s two leading dailies (the other being Al-Rai). A certain percentage of it is owned by the regime and some 50 percent is privately owned by Palestinian elements. Thus, Ad-Dustour’s contents closely follow issues and events in the Palestinian Authority administered territories and the Palestinian problem. The malicious cartoons it systematically publishes since the beginning of the current violent confrontation between Israel and the Palestinians clearly reflect hostility towards Israel and the Jewish people. The most recurring theme in the cartoons is the depiction of Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (and Jews in general) as murderers thirsting for Palestinian blood, who enjoy drinking it or splashing in it.¹

What follows are examples of blatant anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic cartoons, published in Ad-Dustour’s print and web editions during the past six months (the Appendix includes other examples of cartoons published throughout the current Israeli-Palestinian violent confrontation).

Examples of malicious anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic cartoons published in Ad-Dustour during the past six months

Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert happily drinking Palestinian blood, with an Israeli fighter plane dropping ice (rather than bombs) to make his drinking more enjoyable (Ad-Dustour, June 15, 2006). Arab cartoons often show Israel ’s prime ministers thirsting for Palestinian blood.

A stereotypical ultra-Orthodox Jew with a rifle, a murderous look in his eyes and a disdainful smile, asserts before a Palestinian: “See, pal, there’s no Palestinian partner for peace. Even if Olmert himself was the chairman of the Palestinian Authority, there wouldn’t be a partner for peace!” (Ad-Dustour, May 14, 2006).

Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the Transportation Minister and former Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, depicted as birds of prey with blood-dripping claws, while two fighter planes, one American and the other Israeli, circle overhead and drop bombs. The caption on top reads: “Bird flu of a more dangerous kind!” (Ad-Dustour, March 20, 2006).

An Arab with his feet in a tub of water, saying: “Finally, a man has got to rest his feet after all the demonstrations against Denmark .”³ Two soldiers nearby are soaking their feet in a tub full of blood with the inscription: “Iraqi and Palestinian blood” (Ad-Dustour, March 13, 2006).

Ehud Olmert and Shaul Mofaz inside an obese body (a reference to Israel ’s former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon), the left hand of which is covered in blood. The message: the two are Sharon ’s successors as murderers of Palestinians (Ad-Dustour, March 12, 2006).

Shaul Mofaz pouring Palestinian blood on the head of Ehud Olmert, who is soaking in a blood bath. The captions read: “Choose Olmert to continue the evils of his predecessor (Ad-Dustour, March 8, 2006).

Ehud Olmert pouring Palestinian blood into a blood tank in which there floats a ballot box. To the left, a stereotypical Israeli voter seems to order Olmert to continue pouring blood (Ad-Dustour, March 1, 2006).

A stereotypical Jew with a disdainful smile giving Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh a gift box with a note saying: “Sanctions on the Palestinian people”, telling him: “Enjoy, Haniyeh” (Ad-Dustour, February 25, 2006).

A stereotypical Jew giving the perplexed Palestinian a note saying: “Israeli warrants”. Above the Jew is a character representing the West, with a bag of money that says: “Western assistance” (Ad-Dustour, February 6, 2006).

A stereotypical Jew yanking President Bush’s tie, threatening him: “The freedom of press, the freedom of expression… [They] do not [apply] to me!” President Bush holds a note saying: “Offending Arabs and Muslims”, and fearfully replies: “By Allah, I didn’t tell the story of the Holy Holocaust in any wrong way!” (Ad-Dustour, February 5, 2006).

Appendix

Examples of malicious anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic cartoons published in Jordanian media during the current Israeli-Palestinian confrontation


A movie actor in Western clothing speaking to blood-covered Sharon and Ben Eliezer: “I’ve been offered to play Dracula, and I’ve come so that you can teach me how to suck blood!” (Ad-Dustour, March 8, 2002).	The Jewish voter eagerly drinking the blood he is being fed by Sharon , Netanyahu, and Mofaz, saying: “Him who gives me my fill I shall call ‘my master’” (Ad-Dustour, December 12, 2002).


Sharon eagerly drinking Palestinian blood, while sitting on top of the world and crushing it (Ad-Dustour, August 16, 2001).	Sharon swept in a river of (supposedly Palestinian) blood whose banks are littered with skulls (Ad-Dustour, March 5, 2002).

The symbol of the Jewish snake


The Star of David, symbolizing the Jewish people, depicted as part of the snake’s body and as a letter in the Arabic word “terrorism” (al-irhab). The snake swallows the Dome of the Rock (Al-Rai, February 3, 2002).	Before the Israeli 2001 elections, candidates Sharon and Barak are depicted as two heads on a venomous snake, whose skin is covered in Stars of David. The caption: “The Israeli elections!” (Ad-Dustour, February 3, 2001).

The stereotypical image of the Jew manipulating the US


A Jew depicted as controlling the US and the UN, with a club in its hand (Al-Rai, June 28, 2001).	Following the September 11 terrorist attacks: The Jew targets the US finger of blame to the direction of his choice, actually controlling the US (Ad-Dustour, September 19, 2001).

“American pressure” - Jews exerting pressure on the US , which in turn exerts pressure and uses violence against the UN (Ad-Dustour, September 3, 2003).

Jews as the crucifiers of Jesus and murderers of prophets

An Israeli tank whose cannon is a cross on which a Palestinian is crucified. The caption reads: “Those who have crucified all prophets [i.e., the Jews] have crucified my people tonight” (Ad-Dustour, April 14, 2001).

The Jewish-Nazi theme


Sharon as a combination of a Jew and a Nazi. The caption reads: “There is no peace with war criminals” (Ad-Dustour, February 7, 2001).	A cartoon comparing the Jewish Star of David and the Nazi swastika, claiming they are one (Ad-Dustour, November 13, 2000).

1. Cartoons comparing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to Hitler or depicting him as a blood-thirsty murderer are a variation on older cartoons that featured former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and other Israeli senior figures.
2. Source: www.addustour.com.
3. A reference to the demonstrations held against cartoons which Muslims took as an affront to Islam.