La Presse apologizes after cartoon of Israeli PM is denounced as antisemitic

La Presse has apologized after a cartoon depicting Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a vampire sparked outrage.

The depiction, by veteran editorial cartoonist Serge Chapleau, was widely denounced, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau describing it as antisemitic and “distasteful.”

“The drawing was intended to be a criticism of Mr. Netanyahu's policies. It targeted the Israeli government, not the Jewish people,” Stéphanie Grammond, La Presse's chief editorialist, said Wednesday in a post on its website.

La Presse has removed the drawing from its platforms.

“Our apologies to anyone who was offended,” Grammond said.

The caricature portrays Netanyahu as the menacing vampire from the 1922 German silent horror movie Nosferatu. He has long, claw-like fingernails and a large nose.

Under Chapleau's depiction are words, dripping with blood: “Nosfenyahou, en route vers Rafah,” referring to the Palestinian city that Netanyahu has vowed to target.

Grammond said it “was unfortunate to depict the prime minister as Nosferatu the vampire, since this movie character was used in Nazi propaganda during the Second World War, as readers pointed out to us after publication.”

She added: “We never intended to convey antisemitic remarks or harmful stereotypes."

Public officials and Jewish groups condemned the cartoon.

“It is unacceptable to bring back antisemitic tropes and allusions like that. It is distasteful and exactly the wrong thing to do, particularly in these times,” Trudeau told reporters.

“It's a good thing that it was pulled; it's a good thing that they've apologized. But it should never have happened in the first place.”

In a statement, B'nai Brith Canada said La Presse president Pierre-elliott Levasseur called to apologize personally for the cartoon.

The drawing also caught the attention of international media outlets.

The Jerusalem Post quoted Israel's embassy to Canada: “Shame on La Presse for posting this vile caricature. The antisemitism in Canada is off the chart.”