Israel Matzav

Why aren't the Jews rioting?

I'm sure that many of you remember the famous Muhammed cartoons that were first published by Jyllands-Posten in Denmark. They caused rioting by Muslims throughout the world, including here in Israel. In response, Iran did what it does best: it ran a contest for Holocaust cartoons which were then placed on display in Tehran. Now, a Danish newspaper has decided to publish a selection of the Holocaust cartoons. So how come the Jews aren't rioting all over the world?

Editor-in-chief Palle Weis said he had thought carefully about publishing the cartoons and said it was not a stunt.

He told the BBC the cartoons accompanied a news story about the exhibition. He said they were "tasteless but predictable".

...

Another Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, sparked the international row last year after it published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, including one of him wearing a bomb on his head.

There were angry protests in Europe, the Middle East, and other parts of the world, in which at least 50 people died.

In response, a competition was organised in Iran inviting people to draw cartoons about the Holocaust. Organisers said they were testing the West's commitment to freedom of speech.

Information said it had decided to print the cartoons after consulting the main rabbi in Copenhagen.

"He said he had seen worse examples," editor-in-chief Mr Weis told the BBC.

"They are tasteless but predictable... they're pretty harmless. I don't think they would be called great art."

...

One of the cartoons, by a Moroccan cartoonist, shows a scene bisected by the barrier being constructed in the West Bank by Israel.

On one side, a gravestone reading "Holocaust" and bearing a Star of David stands in the sunshine. Underneath the ground is buried a single skull.

On the other side, it is night-time. A gravestone here says "Sabra and Shatila" - a reference to infamous massacres carried out in Lebanon in 1982 by Lebanese Christian militiamen allied to Israel - underneath a Palestinian flag. Underneath the ground are buried scores of skulls.

Mr Weis said he was not nervous about his readers' reactions to the decision to print a selection of the cartoons.

He said an interview with the rabbi was published alongside the cartoons, and an editorial inside explained the decision.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:05 PM