Guardian fires longtime cartoonist over Netanyahu caricature

The Guardian newspaper has fired longtime editorial cartoonist Steve Bell after refusing to run a caricature of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that some alleged drew on antisemitic imagery.

"The decision has been made not to renew Steve Bell's contract," the Guardian said on Thursday.

"Steve Bell's cartoons have been an important part of the Guardian over the past 40 years — we thank him and wish him all the best," publisher Guardian News and Media said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.

Bell has contributed to The Guardian since 1983.

The latest cartoon, posted by Bell on social media, shows Netanyahu holding a scalpel and preparing to cut a Gaza-shaped incision in his abdomen, with the caption "Residents of Gaza, get out now."

It is labelled "after David Levine" and recalls a Vietnam War-era cartoon depicting US president Lyndon B. Johnson pointing at a Vietnam-shaped scar.

American illustrator, Levine drew inspiration from a photo of John's son showing reporters his scar from gall-bladder surgery.

'Antisemitic stereotypes'

Speaking to the BBC, Bell said it "made no sense to me, as there is no reference to that play in my cartoon, which shows Netanyahu, poised to perform a surgical operation on himself while wearing boxing gloves, the catastrophic consequences of which are yet to be seen."

"The image itself was inspired by the late, great David Levine's cartoon of President Lyndon Johnson (LBJ) showing off his operation scar, which Levine draws in the shape of a map of Vietnam," Bell added.

The undeclared U S war in the Southeast Asian country had proved one of Johnson's most intractable issues, and one though which he did himself great harm, similar to the Gaza conflict for Netanyahu, as Bell argued.

Bell said he had been accused of evoking the "pound of flesh" demanded by the Jewish character Shylock in Shakespeare’s play "The Merchant of Venice."

He told the industry newspaper, the Press Gazette, that "The Merchant of Venice" had "nothing to do with the cartoon."

"I don't promote harmful antisemitic stereotypes. … Never have I done such a thing, I would not dream of doing such a thing," the publication quoted him as saying.

Britain has a long tradition of cartoons showing politicians in exaggerated and grotesque form.

Bell has created some of the most memorable also even more controversial caricatures of recent British leaders, portraying former prime minister John Major wearing underpants over his trousers, Tony Blair with a demonic oversized eye and David Cameron with a condom over his head.