Conservative criticism of The Washington Post is mounting for producing a political cartoon against Hamas after some employees expressed “deep concern” about the body.
The cartoon by Michael Ramirez of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, also published twice a week in the Post, was titled “Human Shields” and showed a Hamas spokesman saying, “How dare Israel attack civilians?” “, while a frightened looking woman could be seen and four children tied to his body with ropes.
The cartoon appeared in the newspaper’s print edition and online on November 8, but was later deleted due to internal and external criticism.
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WASHINGTON POST WITHDRAWS ANTI-HAMAS POLITICAL CARTOON WHAT ‘GREAT CONCERNS’ ITS EMPLOYEES ARE
Criticism of the Washington Post is mounting after it raised political concerns about Hamas after some employees expressed “deep concern” about the body. (Michael P. Ramirez/Getty)
“There was criticism both from outside and from within. I think a number of people inside and outside were offended by the cartoon, both the man and the woman. However, I am not sure about the embassy itself.” [criticizing Hamas] was the problem,” a Washington Post insider told Fox News Digital.
The Post’s deletion and subsequent apology angered some conservative political commentators online, who criticized the outlet for refusing to stand by the cartoon.
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“Let the word spread, because the woke have spoken: terrorist groups using human shields are not problematic,” wrote political consultant Noah Pollak in a post on X. “But making fun of terrorist groups using human shields is deeply problematic.”
“Somehow I’m surprised that the Washington Post has retracted this cartoon, given that it completely accurately depicts Hamas’s tactics,” The Bulwark’s Sonny Bunch wrote on X.
Journalist Jeryl Bier wrote that he was not convinced by the Post’s reasoning for its apology. “I am skeptical that retracting a cartoon because some people complain is in the spirit of opinion journalism.”
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The New York Post editorial board told the Washington Post that it was “apologizing for the errors, not publishing” the anti-Hamas cartoon. (Israeli Defense Forces via AP)
The New York Post editorial board told the Washington Post that it was “apologizing for the errors, not publishing” the anti-Hamas cartoon.
“This retreat merely encourages those who object to a message,” the New York Post editorial board wrote, “to call out ‘racism’ in order to censor speech with which the political left disagrees.”
“Democracy dies in darkness,” is the WaPo slogan. We are saddened to see her giving in to the dark side,” the board continued.
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WASHINGTON POST apologizes, removes anti-Hamas cartoon after critics call it racist
Washington Post opinion editor David Shipley explained why he retracted it.
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“As editor of the opinion section, I am responsible for what appears on its pages and on its screens. The section depends on my judgment,” Shipley began. “A cartoon about the war in Gaza published by Michael Ramirez, which I authorized to be published, was viewed by many readers as racist. That was not my intention. I saw in the drawing a caricature of a particular person, the Hamas spokesman, who was celebrating the attacks on unarmed civilians in Israel.”
“However, the reaction to the image convinced me that I had missed something profound and divisive, and for that I regret,” Shipley continued. “Our section aims to find common ground and understand the bonds that hold us together even in the darkest of times. With that in mind, we wrote down the drawing.”
Buzbee’s message to employees was first reported by the Washington Free Beacon.
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Joseph A. Wulfsohn of Fox News contributed to this report.