The Guardian newspaper has terminated the contract of its longtime editorial cartoonist Steve Bell, following the rejection of a caricature of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that drew criticism for its use of antisemitic imagery.
“The decision has been made not to renew Steve Bell’s contract,” stated the Guardian.
“Steve Bell’s cartoons have been an important part of the Guardian over the past 40 years – we thank him and wish him all the best,” said publisher Guardian News and Media in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Thursday.
Bell, who has been contributing to The Guardian since 1983, has faced accusations of incorporating anti-Jewish stereotypes in several of his hundreds of cartoons over the years. The most recent cartoon, shared by Bell on social media, depicts Netanyahu holding a scalpel and preparing to make a Gaza-shaped incision on his abdomen, with the caption “Residents of Gaza, get out now.”
The cartoon is labeled “after David Levine” and draws parallels to a Vietnam War-era cartoon featuring U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson pointing at a Vietnam-shaped scar. American illustrator Levine took inspiration from a photo of Johnson displaying his scar from gall-bladder surgery.
Bell stated that he has been accused of evoking the “pound of flesh” demanded by the Jewish character Shylock in Shakespeare’s play “The Merchant of Venice.”
Most Read
India vs Bangladesh Live Score, World Cup 2023: Kohli the latest to score fifty after Gill-Rohit as IND march to 257 in Pune
Leo box office collection Day 1 early reports: Vijay’s film to record biggest Tamil film opening of 2023, brings in Rs 145 crore worldwide
He informed the Press Gazette, an industry newspaper, that “The Merchant of Venice” had “nothing to do with the cartoon.”
“I don’t promote harmful antisemitic stereotypes. … Never have I done such a thing, I would not dream of doing such a thing,” he stated, as quoted by the publication.
Britain has a long tradition of portraying politicians in exaggerated and grotesque form through cartoons. Bell has created some of the most memorable caricatures of recent British leaders, such as former Prime Minister John Major wearing underpants over his trousers, Tony Blair with a demonic oversized eye, and David Cameron with a condom over his head.