Politics
New book on caricatures linked to Britain, Israel and Palestine tells us a lot about our own history
Sometimes great political cartoonists can summarize, in a concise drawing and caption, the most intelligent commentary on the issue of the moment. These cartoons are often funny, just as often wild, and manage to get to the essence of a political gaffe faster than the thousands of words that accompany them.
We think of some of the hideous and scatological manifestations of Boris Johnson, a cartoonist's dream, or the merciless depiction of John Major with his underwear over his pants, the latter image originally created by Steve Bell, but which has become so ubiquitous that it is the infamously defining vision of the Majors' premiership.
For today's readers, cartoons don't need much explanation because we know the protagonists and the political issues. But to learn more about history, a deep dive into contemporary commentaries is necessary.
Get The Jewish News Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories.
In his delightful and informative new book, Drawn to the Promised LandDr. Tim Benson, British authority on political cartoons, metaphorically leads the reader by the hand while explaining the context behind many of the cartoons from 1917 to 1949. For this book is a specific look at the fractured history of the Jews and, ultimately, on their successful attempt to re-establish their foothold in the Land of Israel, while being thwarted by the Great Powers and, in particular, by the British Mandate over Palestine.
Two completely artificial characters stand out in these cartoons: the metaphorical creations of Uncle Sam for the United States and John Bull for Great Britain. Both Sam and John appear in many drawings, used by cartoonists to denote the national sentiments of the two countries. Sometimes Benson even offers us Uncle Sam and John Bull for consultation.
Another recurring theme used by many cartoonists is the well-known story of King Solomon and his attempt to define the true mother of a baby by decreeing that the child should be sawed in two and each half given to the two women who bicker. often, while Arabs and Jews tried to claim it. The true mother, horrified, abandons her claims after Solomon's decision: but it is difficult, from today's point of view, to see such a solution applied now.
Some of my favorites, however, are from long-defunct newspapers and, for whatever reason, they are all by men who did not become household names. But boy, are they sharp. Take, for example, George Whitelaw in the Daily Heraldin June 1945. We see an old British squadron in front of Parliament, looming over a tiny figure holding a piece of paper reading Anti-Jewish Plan.
It turns out he was the happily forgotten Tory MP for Peebles, Captain Archibald Ramsay. Benson tells us that he wanted to reintroduce the medieval Statute of the Jewish community, which was repealed in 1846. This statute made the wearing of the yellow star compulsory and prohibited Jews from any social contact with Christians. Ramsay's motion declared that the statute protected Her Majesty's subjects against Jewish extortion and exploitation.
Whitelaw's caption simply read: For this I fought Hitler? For a British readership just waking up to the horrors of the Holocaust, this must have resonated. For a modern reader, aware of the conspiracy theories that abound on social networks. there is also an ominous resonance.
Some of the most provocative caricatures are those of Jewish artists such as Berliner Victor Weisz, better known as Vicky, who drew for The spectator and finally the Chronicle of the news after being interned on the Isle of Wight when war broke out in 1939. Benson wisely argues that when it came to attacking the British government over its closed-door policy to remnants of the Jewish community European Union attempting to enter post-war Palestine, Jewish cartoonists became more reluctant, as they did not want to appear as special litigators, focused on a single issue.
But that was in Britain: American cartoonists, even when they came from Europe, like Arthur Szyk, were much more outspoken. Benson tells us that Szyk believed all cartoonists should speak out against Nazi tyranny. He quotes Szyk, whose mother died in a camp in Poland in 1942, who writes: An artist, especially a Jewish artist, cannot be neutral in our time. Szyk, who had fled Europe and settled in New York in 1940, contributed to a steady stream of anti-Nazi cartoons for the New York Post.
But there is a fantastic cartoon by Vicky called Camels all lumpy, lumpy and bumpy, showing a sweaty British Foreign Minister, Ernest Bevin, being told by the United Nations: Come on, now YOU ride him, while he look at the two bumps labeled Jews. and the Arabs of a camel called Palestine,
Sometimes Benson provides contemporary political commentary from newspapers other than the cartoons he shows. An October 1945 cartoon, for example, is by another Jewish cartoonist, Eric Godel, in Americas PM magazine. It shows a character representing Western civilization, narrating what is presumably a Jew behind barbed wire who will do everything possible to save your life. But the man said: It is not only my life that is at stake, it is also your soul.
To accompany this, Benson cites a Daily Shipping report on Dr Alexander Altmann, town rabbi of Manchester and Salford, protesting the shocking living conditions of displaced Jews who had been liberated in Europe. These unfortunate human beings have been liberated, but for them there is no liberation, writes Dr. Altmann. Benson tells us that Dr. Altmann himself lost his parents at Auschwitz. I didn't know it: at home, he was best known as one of the rabbis who married my parents.
What is really striking in this book, which Benson dedicated to his great-great-grandfather Peysach Czyzyk, who was orphaned at the age of three following a Russian pogrom, are the countless caricatures that echo our time. Perhaps one of the most striking images is a July 1946 caricature, drawn by Leslie Illingworth in the Daily Mail.
It was published just after news broke of the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem by right-wing Jews. Amidst the rubble, Illingworth shows us two British soldiers carrying a stretcher on which is a cloth bearing the words World Sympathy Zionism. This image could not be closer to that of Israeli soldiers carrying a stretcher with the body of Hamas terrorist leader Yahya Sinwar out of the rubble of Rafah.
We are often exhorted to remember the words of Confucius: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” In this reading, Tim Benson has done us a great service, breaking down a complicated and still controversial story into more easily digestible images. Such a clever book.
Drawn to the Promised Land, a caricature on the history of Britain, Palestine and the Jews 1917-1949 by Tim Benson is published on November 2
Sources 2/ https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/new-book-on-cartoons-related-to-britain-israel-and-palestine-tells-us-much-about-our-own-history/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos
to request, modification Contact us at Here or [email protected]