(Ottawa) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tore apart a caricature of Toronto Sun where we see the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, stealing the portfolio from the President of the United States, Joe Biden. Criticized from all sides, the tabloid apologized and removed the drawing.
The illustration published in the pages of the Postmedia daily aroused the indignation of the Prime Minister of Canada.
“The caricature on the editorial page of Toronto Sunwhich conveys anti-Semitic content of the worst kind, is absolutely unacceptable,” he denounced on the sidelines of an announcement in Toronto.
Rather than falling into “stereotypes” in these difficult times, Canadians should show compassion and understanding, he also insisted.
“I think we can all expect better from our media organizations,” he said.
SCREENSHOT OF CARICATURE FROM TORONTO SUN
The drawing shows a prominent-nosed President Zelensky removing a wallet from President Biden’s pants pocket, an apparent reference to the US Congress’ tussle over aid to Ukraine.
Furious Jews and Ukrainians
It aroused ire both within the Jewish community and among the Ukrainian community.
“One of the most common anti-Semitic stereotypes is that Jews are greedy. A second is that of the Jewish nose,” noted the Advisory Center for Jewish and Israeli Relations (CIJA) on X.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress said it was “disgusted” by this “hateful” drawing of the Jewish leader, which “perpetuates anti-Semitic stereotypes and constitutes an insult to the Ukrainian people.”
In addition to demanding a public apology from Toronto Sunthe group calls for the destruction of all digital and printed versions of the drawing containing “hate propaganda inspired by the Kremlin”.
The drawing deleted from the web
The caricature has finally fallen by the wayside – at least, in virtual space.
The Postmedia group also expressed contrition.
“The cartoon was not up to our editorial standards, we were wrong to publish it and we apologize,” wrote the publication’s editor-in-chief, Adrienne Batra.
Because he “wrongly implied that American aid to Ukraine involved theft,” which is “hurtful to Canadians of Ukrainian origin and Ukrainians,” she said.
She also expressed regret for the “anti-Semitic stereotypes” in the portrayal of Volodymyr Zelensky, which was “hurtful” to the Jewish community.
The editor-in-chief concludes by affirming that the freelance caricaturist behind the illustration, the American Gary Varvel, would no longer be found in the pages of the Toronto Sun.