Controversial Cartoon: Canadian Newspaper Pulls Netanyahu Vampire Depiction

Watan-The newspaper “La Presse” in Montreal withdrew a cartoon after mentioning Israeli threats it faced and accusations of anti-Semitism, following its depiction of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a vampire.

The drawing, published by “La Presse,” a French-language digital newspaper, portrayed the Israeli Prime Minister with elongated, fanged ears and claws.

In an image reminiscent of the vampire in the 1922 film “Nosferatu,” the cartoon depicted Netanyahu standing wearing a long coat on a sailing ship with the caption “Netanyahu on his way to Rafah.”

The editor-in-chief of the newspaper apologized, stating that the cartoon aimed to criticize the Israeli government and not the Jewish people, sparking discussions of threats akin to mafia threats that the newspaper received.

Deletion and apology!

By midday, the cartoon was removed, and “La Presse” issued an apology through its editor-in-chief, Stéphanie Grammond, who mentioned that the cartoon aimed to criticize the Israeli government “and not the Jewish people,” adding, “Our intention was never to promote anti-Semitism or offensive stereotypes.”

Canadian politicians, Jewish leaders, and others criticized the cartoon, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who described it as “disgusting.” Trudeau stated that “hints of anti-Semitism and echoing similar stereotypes are unacceptable.”

After the brutal Israeli war and the recent attack on the city of Rafah, concern and anger escalated in Western circles. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed so far in the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip.