The New York Times has apologized for publishing an anti-Semitic cartoon in its international edition, but many Jews and non-Jews alike are saying "too little too late."
"We are deeply sorry for the publication of an anti-Semitic political cartoon last Thursday in the print edition of The New York Times that circulates outside of the United States, and we are committed to making sure nothing like this happens again," the Times' opinion section tweeted Sunday, reported CBN.
The cartoon depicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the form of a guide dog with a Star of David hanging from his leash, leading a yarmulke-clad President Trump.
"Apology unaccepted, @nytimes," wrote political activist Andrew Pollack on Twitter. "This anti-Semitic cartoon should've been caught long before it was published. This is also the same newspaper who believes President Trump is spreading hate when, in reality, it's them! #FixIt"
Times columnist Bret Stephens rebuked his paper in an op-ed Sunday evening.
"The Times wasn't explaining anti-Semitism. It was purveying it," Stephens wrote. "It did so in the form of a cartoon.
"Here was an image that, in another age, might have been published in the pages of Der Stürmer," Stephens said. "The Jew in the form of a dog. The small but wily Jew leading the dumb and trusting American. The hated Trump being Judaized with a skullcap. The nominal servant acting as the true master. The cartoon checked so many anti-Semitic boxes that the only thing missing was a dollar sign."
Vice President Mike Pence wrote: "We stand with Israel and we condemn antisemitism in ALL its forms, including @nytimes political cartoons."
In its apology, the Times said such imagery "is always dangerous, and at a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise worldwide, it's all the more unacceptable."
"We have investigated how this happened and learned that, because of a faulty process, a single editor working without adequate oversight downloaded the syndicated cartoon and made the decision to include it on the Opinion page. The matter remains under review, and we are evaluating our internal processes and training. We anticipate significant changes," the paper said.
CBN said the Times released an initial statement Saturday that did not include an apology, which drew even more anger.
Radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh analyzed the matter in depth during his national broadcast Monday.
"This is an anti-Semitic cartoon. That’s the worldview of the New York Times," Limbaugh explained. "The lone culprit isn’t buried under layers of editors. The publishing of this cartoon is symptomatic of a shared prejudice that has infected the left. Look at their heroes today! Ilhan Omar, hates Jews. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (who loves Ilhan Omar). Rashida Tlaib. These people are born anti-Semites. It’s part of their existence, and they are not being condemned for it. ...
"Anti-Zionism is becoming an acceptable cover for anti-Semitism. Meaning, you can be an anti-Semite, you can be totally opposed to Jews and just couch it as being opposed to Israel and it sends the same message.
"In other words, it’s cowardice, rather than just admit you’re anti-Semitic, make it clear you’re anti-Israel and you accomplish the same thing. It took the New York Times until Sunday to apologize for that cartoon. They published it all the way back last Thursday in the international edition. Even then they only apologized on Twitter. They didn’t talk about punishing the people who were behind the cartoon."
Israeli cartoonist Shay Charka, CBN reported, mocked the Times in a cartoon Sunday. It depicted the paper as a blind person being led by a dog labeled "The Protocols," referencing the anti-Semitic book that claims Jews are trying to take over the world.
קריקטורת תגובה לניו יורק טיימס, עכשיו באתר מקור ראשוןhttps://t.co/CwKLsJSzs4 pic.twitter.com/CwTzgSFbTl
— שי צ'רקה shay charka (@ShayCharka) April 28, 2019
Israel's U.N. ambassador, Danny Danon, mentioned the shooting Saturday at a synagogue near San Diego in his condemnation of the cartoon, CBN reported.
"Words, demonstrations and the cartoons turn into shootings against #Jewish worshipers," he wrote. "# Antsemitism continues to take victims! Now is the time for action, for a determined war. We cannot allow the forces of hate to revive dark periods in history. #No2Antisemitisem #Pray4SanDiego."