FRESH AIR

UPDATES

Fatah uses controversial Australian cartoon by Glen Le Lievre to promote antisemitic conspiracy theories

September 23, 2016 | Glen Falkenstein

Fatah uses controversial Australian cartoon by Glen Le Lievre to promote antisemitic conspiracy theories
news_item/dc7f68e4-2898-43ac-9ce5-619e54902523.jpg

Fatah’s “Mobilization and Organization Commission” has re-publicised a controversial Australian cartoon drawn by Glen Le Lievre which originally appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald. Fatah’s implication is that Jews are in control of acts of terrorism and violence around the world. The infamous cartoon (above) of a Jewish person with a large nose, wearing a Jewish skullcap, seated in an armchair with an emblazoned Star of David, causing violence with a remote control device, was published on that Commission’s website on Sept. 20 according to Palestinian Media Watch.

The cartoon first appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2014 in the context of the contemporaneous Gaza conflict (Operation Protective Edge) and was the subject of significant controversy in Australia at the time.

Attorney-General George Brandis labelled it as “deplorable” and “overtly anti-Semitic,” and called on the Herald to “have a very good look at itself when it publishes cartoons (of) the kind we haven’t seen since Germany in the 1930s.”

The Australian reported that then-Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull personally called the Editor of the Herald to say that the cartoon “had a disturbing similarity with a long and deplorable tradition of anti-Semitic caricatures.” There were also reports of readers cancelling their subscriptions following the cartoon’s publication.

In a subsequent editorial in the Herald, the paper apologised for the cartoon, stating that “the newspaper invoked an inappropriate element of religion, rather than nationhood, and made a serious error of judgement. It was wrong to publish the cartoon in its original form. We apologise unreservedly for this lapse, and the anguish and distress that has been caused.”

It is telling that Fatah, the ruling party of the Palestinian Authority – whose representatives continue to incite hatred against the Jewish people and engage in abominable libels – would now use this cartoon to promote their objectives.

There is currently of course no ongoing war in Gaza – the context of the cartoon today is to send the conspiratorial message that Jews are collectively responsible for terrorism and violence everywhere. Palestinian Media Watch shows an additional recent cartoon from another Fatah website which illustrates the antisemitic conspiracy theory that Fatah is trying to spread, blaming a hook-nosed Jew for causing Shi’ite-Sunni enmity.

Indeed, Palestinian Media Watch has collected numerous other examples of implications by Fatah or PA affiliated outlets that Israel or the Jews are really the ones responsible for acts of Islamist terrorism.

It goes without saying that the spread of such antisemitic conspiracy theories by the ruling party of the PA is hardly conducive to achieving Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation, and bodes very poorly for hopes for a negotiated two-state resolution any time soon.

Further, this incident shows the egregious nature of the original cartoon. The fact that it is now being used to promote antisemitic conspiracy theories by a radical group just goes to reinforce that the Sydney Morning Herald was quite correct to conclude, “It was wrong to publish the cartoon in its original form” and to apologise.

Glen Falkenstein

Tags:

RELATED ARTICLES

Image: Shutterstock

Media Matters: The ABC’s blind spot

Aug 17, 2025 | Fresh AIR
Fighters and military vehicles belonging to Syrian government forces intervene in the city of Sweida to enforce a ceasefire between Druze factions and Bedouin tribes. Syria, July 20, 2025 (Image: Shutterstock)

Druze crisis tested Israel’s Syria strategy

Jul 31, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Image: Shutterstock

Media Matters: Smoke and Ire over IHRA

Jul 30, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
President Bill Clinton walks Prime Minister Ehud Barak of Israel and Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Authority at Camp David, Maryland, July 2000 (Image: Wikipedia)

The silver anniversary of the silver bullet

Jul 29, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
A protest in response to the death in detention of Mahsa Amini by Iran's morality police in Tehran (Image: Tolga Ildun/ Shutterstock)

Diaspora Iranians hope for more attention to the plight of the Iranian people

Jul 24, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Image: Shutterstock

An AIJAC letter the Sydney Morning Herald refused to publish

Jul 14, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
D11a774c 2a47 C987 F4ce 2d642e6d9c8d

Bibi in DC, the Houthi threat and the politicised ICJ opinion

Jul 26, 2024 | Update
Image: Shutterstock

Nine months after Oct. 7: Where Israel stands now

Jul 10, 2024 | Update
Palestinian Red Crescent workers from Al-Najjar Hospital in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip (Image: Shutterstock)

Hamas’ impossible casualty figures

Mar 28, 2024 | Update
455daec3 C2a8 8752 C215 B7bd062c6bbc

After the Israel-Hamas ceasefire for hostages deal

Nov 29, 2023 | Update
Screenshot of Hamas bodycam footage as terrorists approach an Israeli vehicle during the terror organisation's October 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel, released by the IDF and GPO (Screenshot)

Horror on Video / International Law and the Hamas War

Oct 31, 2023 | Update
Sderot, Israel. 7th Oct, 2023. Bodies of dead Israelis lie on the ground following the attacks of Hamas (Image: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa/Alamy Live News)

Israel’s Sept. 11, only worse

Oct 11, 2023 | Update
Screenshot

Protests show social cohesion being “ripped apart”: Joel Burnie on Sky News

Sep 1, 2025 | Featured, Video
Screenshot 2025 08 29 At 7.49.54 am

IRGC has ‘dramatically increased’ number of global operations: Bren Carlill on Sky News

Aug 29, 2025 | Featured, Video
Screenshot

Australia-Israel relationship “at its lowest ebb”: Joel Burnie on Sky News

Aug 21, 2025 | Featured, Video
Screenshot

“Disappointed but not shocked” by Tony Burke’s comments: Jamie Hyams on Sky News

Aug 20, 2025 | Featured, Video
Screenshot

Australia-US relationship at ‘record low’ following ‘concerning’ Palestine move: Joel Burnie on Sky News

Aug 16, 2025 | Featured, Video
Screenshot 2025 08 13 At 11.01.48 am

Australia recognising Palestine more about ‘punishing Israel’ – Joel Burnie on Sky News

Aug 13, 2025 | Featured, Video

RECENT POSTS

Mark Kenny (screenshot)

Letter in the Canberra Times: Comparisons are hurtful, flawed and they cross a line

Screenshot

Protests show social cohesion being “ripped apart”: Joel Burnie on Sky News

Image: Screenshot/ ABC News

Australia taking a decisive step toward protecting its Jewish and Iranian communities

Screenshot 2025 08 29 At 7.49.54 am

IRGC has ‘dramatically increased’ number of global operations: Bren Carlill on Sky News

Image: Khamenei.ir

AIJAC welcomes steps against Iran and IRGC following revelation of their role in antisemitic attacks in Australia

SORT BY TOPICS