PrintNYT’s anti-Semitic cartoon was carefully crafted to pander to prejudices of Muslims and neo-Nazis
The anti-Semitic cartoon that was published by the New York Times for readers of its international edition, many of them journalists, politicians, and opinion leader all over the world, was not causally or inadvertently offensive.
It was carefully crafted to appeal to the prejudices of Muslims and neo-Nazis.
And despite the NYT deleting it from its online version, the newsprint version that arrived on many desks and in front of the doors of upscale hotel rooms in foreign capitals and principal cities, still carries the cartoon:
Photo credit: Tom Gross Media
Portraying Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of the world’s only Jewish state, as a dog speaks to the deep hatred of dogs espoused by Mohammed, who is, according to Muslims, the most perfect human being ever to walk the earth, someone to be emulated in all respects. On man’s best friend, he was quite emphatic:
Below are a number of Hadith on various aspects involving dogs. All Hadith are from the Sahih collections of Bukhari and Muslim, or the Sunan of Abu Dawud. After the Quran, Bukhari's set of Hadith are regarded to be the second most important books in Islam, followed closely by the Hadith of Muslim…. [T]hese Hadith are not just a few isolated or unsupported cases. (snip)
From Bukhari Vol. 4, #540
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar: Allah's Apostle ordered that the dogs should be killed.
From Abu Dawud #2839
Abd Allah B. Mughaffal reported the apostle of Allah as saying: Were dogs not a species of creature I should command that they all be killed; but kill every pure black one.
The Hadith's note for #2839 says, "The prophet did not order the killing of all the dogs, for some are to be retained for hunting and watching. He ordered to kill the jet black ones. They might be more mischievous among them.
From Muslim #3814
Ibn Mughaffal reported: Allah's messenger ordered the killing of dogs and then said, "what is the trouble with them (the people of Medina? How dogs are nuisances to them (the citizens of Medina)? He then permitted keeping of dogs for hunting and (the protection of) herds. ...[and for] for the protection of cultivated land.
From Muslim #Number 055
Ibn Mughaffal reported: The Messenger of Allah ordered killing of the dogs, and then said: What about them, i. e. about other dogs? and then granted concession (to keep) the dog for hunting and the dog for (the security) of the herd, and said: When the dog licks the utensil, wash it seven times, and rub it with earth the eighth time.
From Muslim #3813
Abu Zubair heard Jabir Abdullah saying: Allah's messenger ordered us to kill dogs and we carried out this order so much so that we also killed the dog roaming with a women from the desert. Then Allah's apostle forbade their killing. He said: "It is your duty to kill the jet-black (dog) having two spots (on the eyes) for it is a devil.
But Muslims are not the only group pandered to. Even more deliberate is the use of a Dachshund – the quintessentially German dog – as Netanyahu’s canine manifestation. So far as I know, there has never been a Dachshund used as a seeing eye dog. They are far too yappy and temperamental to be useful in that helping role. The only reason to use the recognizably German breed would be to further insult Netanyahu. And to offer delight to neo-Nazis.
This was no casual error. It was a deliberate attempt to provoke and gratify Jew-hatred among the two groups with a history of mass exterminations of Jews.
Update: my online friend Mark Wauck points out (how did I miss it?) that PresidentTrump is portrayed as a Jew, wearing a kipah skull cap. While being a Jew is nothing bad, this does speak to conspiratorial thinking that secret Jews are masquerading as gentiles. I has also been reported that the Poway synagogue shooter referred to Trump as a "Zionist" -- a term frequently conflated with "Jew" by anti-Semites.
