The Philadelphia Inquirer apologized for publishing an editorial cartoon that pushed “antisemitic tropes” earlier this week.
The editorial board published a piece expressing regret for posting cartoonist Monte Wolverton’s illustration criticizing Israel’s response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks in Israel.
“It is clear this cartoon was highly insensitive, particularly at the current moment when antisemitism is on the rise. We hear the outcry and apologize for the pain it caused,” the editorial said.
The image reportedly depicted a massive black military boot emblazoned with a Star of David about to step on a crowd of Palestinians that contained multiple Hamas militants scattered throughout.
The crowd of Palestinians and Hamas militants was drawn scattering under the approaching boot, which appeared poised to crush most of the people in the cartoon.
“The Inquirer Editorial Board regrets the publication of an editorial cartoon by Monte Wolverton of the Cagle Cartoons syndicate that appeared in Tuesday’s editions,” the editorial said.
“In hindsight, the cartoon depicting an oversized Israeli military boot stepping on Hamas terrorists hiding among civilians in response to the Oct. 7 attack should not have been published.”
From Fox News:
The piece then linked to an earlier editorial to prove that the board condemned Hamas’ "heinous attacks days after they occurred, and has expressed its unequivocal belief that Israel has the right to defend itself from Hamas’ aggression." That piece said, "The horror and outrage of the surprise attacks on Israel by Palestinian militants in Gaza are being compared with the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, in America and the bombing of Pearl Harbor."
