Political cartoonist Michael Ramirez, whose work mocking Hamas was pulled from publication in the Washington Post after receiving backlash both domestically and internationally, is speaking out about the “unfortunate” episode that limits free speech. .
The cartoon, titled “Human Shield,” shows a terrified-looking woman and her four young children tied together with rope, and a spokesperson for the terrorist organization says, “Israel is a civilian It’s not good to attack people,” he was pictured saying.
“I think it’s empirically true that Hamas uses civilians, both Palestinians and Israelis, as human shields,” Ramirez said in an interview on Fox News Digital on Friday. “It is a secret knowledge that they operate bases in densely populated areas, fire rockets from densely populated areas under civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, and deliberately sacrifice the lives of innocent people. I don’t think so.”
Washington Post apologizes, removes anti-Hamas cartoon after critics call it racist
The Washington Post has taken down a political cartoon of Michael Ramirez mocking Hamas after backlash both on social media and in the Post’s newsroom. (Michael Ramirez/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Ramirez, who is employed by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, has a cooperative agreement with the Washington Post in which his work will appear simultaneously in both papers on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
The paper ultimately pulled the anti-Hamas cartoon, but the Review stands by it.
He predicted that given the current political climate, his cartoons would provoke some visceral reaction among some people, but that those who claim to defend innocent Palestinians have a “certain view” of Hamas. “It tends to erase species boundaries.”
Washington Post withdraws anti-Hamas political cartoon amid ‘deep concerns’ from staff
Ramirez, a conservative, highlighted his working relationship with Post opinion editor David Shipley, who hand-picked anti-Hamas cartoons after presenting cartoonists with multiple options to choose from. did.
“In this case, we both thought this was a bold comic,” Ramirez said.
There was outrage on social media as well as within the Post’s newsroom, as the paper’s editor in chief, Sally Buzbee, acknowledged in an email to staff Wednesday that there were “many deep concerns.” It didn’t take long for it to rise.
Washington Post executive editor Sally Buzbee sent a memo to staff citing “many deep concerns” about a now-removed political cartoon mocking Hamas. (Javin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Left-wing critics pointed to the exaggerated features depicted in the caricature of Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad and denounced the caricature as racist. Ramirez rejected such claims and sent Fox News Digital examples of other political figures with similar characteristics, including former President Trump, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman. .
But internal and external pressure reached a boiling point when Mr. Shipley removed the cartoon from the Post’s website and replaced it with an apologetic editor’s note and a letter from a reader condemning the illustration.
“Many people, both men and women, were offended by this caricature, both domestically and internationally,” a Washington Post official told FOX News Digital, expressing concern that Hamas was portrayed in a negative light. It was more about that than doing it.
“Passion is running so high right now that something is/was going to get people excited. But it can be hard to predict how it will turn out. If this will be the spark that leads to an explosion. Did you think so? No,” they said. he said, adding that he agreed that Hamas is deplorable.
Washington Post ridiculed by conservatives for removing anti-Hamas cartoon: “Woke people spoke”
Ramirez said Shipley “begged” him not to leave because of the deletion.
“He knew I wasn’t happy with it…and he begged me not to quit,” Ramirez said. “And to be honest, I thought about the consequences. If I quit, the cancel culture people would win, because they would basically ban my cartoon from the Washington Post. I didn’t want to give them that luxury.”
“So I told David I was going to do two more comics for the Washington Post and see how things went, and then I would reevaluate our relationship,” Ramirez added.
After facing accusations that his depiction of Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad was racist, cartoonist Michael Ramirez shared other examples of hyperbole he has made against people on Fox News. Sent digitally. (Michael Ramirez/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Creators Syndicate)
Ramirez said he likes Shipley and respects her efforts to “expand the Washington Post to accommodate a more diverse range of views,” but called the episode “disappointing.” .
“I think David was initially resistant to the idea of doing this, and he was very apologetic to me for doing something like this,” Ramirez said.
He added that he was pleased that the cartoon sparked a discussion about the “systematic violation of free speech.”
“I want open debate. I think it makes America better and more extraordinary.”
The two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning artist told Fox News Digital that he plans to publish a cartoon about what happened in Sunday’s Review-Journal edition and write an accompanying piece.
As a preview of his remarks, Ramirez cited the Washington Post’s motto, “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” and called it “an outcry by beleaguered news outlets angered by cartoons that expose the truth.” “When activity and disgust cause adults to retreat to a safe place and start clasping their hands.” These are really dark days, with their participation trophies and freedom of speech revoked. ”
A Washington Post spokeswoman cited the editor’s note but declined further comment.
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