Canadian newspaper posts 'antisemitic' caricature of vampire Netanyahu

A caricature of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the vampire in the movie Nosferatu was published by French-Canadian newspaper La Presse on Wednesday, resulting in accusations of antisemitism and a retraction by the Montreal outlet.

Shame on @LP_LaPresse for posting this vile Caricature. The anti-Semitism in Canada is off the chart. pic.twitter.com/x9GNqRVAfA

— Israel in Canada (@IsraelinCanada) March 20, 2024

"Nosfenyahou, on the way to Rafah," placed the face of Netanyahu on the body of the blood-sucking Count Orlok in one of the 1922 horror movie's famous stills.

"Shame on La Presse for posting this vile caricature," said the Israeli embassy to Canada. "The antisemitism in Canada is off the chart."

Other reactions to the caricature

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said that the caricature was antisemitic, not funny, and demanded an immediate retraction.

"One can criticize Netanyahu -- as many Israelis do -- without stooping to using antisemitic tropes such as hooked fingers or a big nose," CIJA said on X. "This kind of drawing contributes to the normalization of antisemitism that has been affecting our community for months."

Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi said on social media "You can dislike Netanyahu. You can disagree with his policies. You cannot make antisemitic tropes."

Public relations firm CEO Jenni Bryne noted that the cartoon was reminiscent of antisemitic Nazi propaganda in the lead-up to World War II and the Holocaust. La Presse, in its retraction statement, said that Nosferatu was used in Nazi propaganda during the Second World War.

La Presse editor-in-chief Stéphanie Grammond apologized for the portrayal of Netanyahu as a vampire in response to his plans to invade the Hamas stronghold of Rafah.

"The drawing was intended to be a criticism of Mr. Netanyahu's policies. It targeted the Israeli government, not the Jewish people," said Grammond. "We never intended to convey antisemitic remarks or harmful stereotypes. On the contrary, La Presse has already loudly denounced the deplorable rise in antisemitism since the start of the war, in Quebec as elsewhere in the world. Today, we reiterate the importance of combating hatred against the Jewish people."

The French-Canadian paper said that it had removed the cartoon from all of its platforms.

La Presse chief editorialist Stephanie Grammond apologized for the cartoon, according to the Toronto Sun, saying it was never the outlet’s intention to promote harmful stereotypes.