By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times - Monday, April 29, 2019

The New York Times issued a second statement over the weekend on its decision to publish an anti-Semitic cartoon, this time apologizing for the “dangerous” image and pinning the blame on “a single editor.”

The apology, which was posted online Sunday, came after widespread outrage over the cartoon that ran Thursday in the international edition depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a dog leading a blind President Trump in a yarmulke.

“We are deeply sorry for the publication of an anti-Semitic political cartoon last Thursday in the print edition of the New York Times that circulates outside of the United States, and we are committed to making sure nothing like this ever happens again,” said the statement.

“Such imagery is always dangerous, and at a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise worldwide, it’s all the more unacceptable,” the newspaper continued.

Among those who condemned the cartoon Sunday was Vice President Mike Pence, who tweeted, “We stand with Israel and we condemn antisemitism in ALL its forms, including @nytimes political cartoons.”

SEE ALSO: Antonio Moreira Antunes, New York Times cartoonist, exhibited anti-Semitic work in 1983

How did the cartoon make it through the editorial process? “We have investigated how this happened and learned that, because of a faulty process, a single editor working without adequate oversight downloaded the syndicated cartoon and made the decision to include it on the Opinion page,” said the NYT statement.

The newspaper also promised a review and anticipated “significant changes.”

The cartoon, drawn by Portuguese political cartoonist Antonio Moreira Antunes of the [Lisbon] Expresso, was cited by conservatives as an example of rising anti-Semitic sentiment on the left. The NYT is known for its liberal tilt and criticism of the Trump administration’s domestic and international policies.

“The anti Semitic cartoon published by the @nytimes is a symptom of a deeper problem on the left,” tweeted Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz. “It’s acceptable to many on the left to employ anti Semitic tropes as long as they’re directed against Israel. Anti Zionism is becoming an acceptable cover for anti Semitism.”

SEE ALSO: New York Times pulls anti-Semitic cartoon, cites ‘error in judgment’

A day earlier, the newspaper posted a statement saying that the cartoon had been deleted and attributing the decision to run it to an “error in judgment,” a response criticized by conservatives, Jewish Americans, Israel supporters and others as insufficient.

“Deleting the anti-Semitic cartoon doesn’t delete the anti-Semitism inside the organization that led to its publication,” tweeted Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican.

Among those who denounced the cartoon was NYT columnist Bret Stephens, a conservative, who called it “despicable” in a Sunday op-ed.

Several Jewish and pro-Israel groups planned to hold protests Monday outside the New York Times building in New York City.

• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.

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