UNESCO files complaint against Israeli delegation over Haaretz cartoon
A cartoon published in Haaretz causes a rift between Israel's ambassador to UNESCO and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
By Barak Ravid Tags: Ramallah Palestinians UNESCO HaaretzIsrael's ambassador to UNESCO didn't know whether to laugh or cry when a senior official at the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization called him in for a tongue-lashing on Wednesday. The reason? A cartoon published in Haaretz.
The November 4 cartoon, a riff on the government's anger at UNESCO's decision to accept Palestine as a full member, showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak sending an air force squadron to attack Iran, with Netanyahu ordering, "And on your way back, you're gonna hit the UNESCO office in Ramallah!"
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The editorial cartoon in question. |
| Photo by: Eran Wolkovsky |
When he met with Eric Falt, UNESCO's assistant director general for external relations and public information, Ambassador Nimrod Barkan was stunned to be handed a copy of this cartoon and an official letter of protest from UNESCO's director general, Irina Bokova. Falt told Barkan the cartoon constituted incitement.
"A cartoon like this endangers the lives of unarmed diplomats, and you have an obligation to protect them," Falt said, according to an Israeli source. "We understand that there is freedom of the press in Israel, but the government must prevent attacks on UNESCO."
Barkan pointed out that the government has no control over editorial cartoons printed in the papers. "Ask yourselves what you did to make a moderate paper with a deeply internationalist bent publish such a cartoon," he suggested. "Perhaps the problem is with you."
After Barkan reported the conversation to the Foreign Ministry, it cabled back: "What exactly does UNESCO want of us - to send our fine boys to protect UNESCO's staff, or to shut down the paper? It seems your work environment is getting more and more reminiscent of 'Animal Farm.'"
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UN facilities in Palestine (West bank and Gaza)already. So, what You are wondering, Mr. Ravid?
ACCEPTING PALESTINE AS A MEMBER OF UN WAS A TOTAL FARCE IF NOT A WORLD WIDE TRAGEDY PALESTINE " EDUCATION" : PALESTINE INDOCTRINATES ITS CHILDREN TO HATE ISRAEL & USA & DEMOCRATIC NATIONS --WHERE IN THE WORLD BE$SIDES PALESTINE DO THEY STRAP EXPLOSIVE DEVICES ON TO THEIR CHILDREN..& AFTER THEIR SUCIDE MISSIONS CHEER THEM AS HEROES OF THER CAUSE? WHERE IS THEIR SCIENCE & CULTURE? HAS THE UN FORGOTTEN WHAT UNESCO MEANS?
A moderate paper? What's he talking about? Certainly not Ha'aretz!
they meet up with some Russian fighters on the way back? Who you gonna call to get that bear off you butt? Please uncle Obama, jump into WWIII for us.
If Finkelstein can junxtapose KZ camp walls and the israeli wall, If Richard Falk can post his anti semitic pics on his blog and remain with some UN credibility unscathed... Then this cartoon, in its clearly satirical message, is nothing.
The cartoon isn't calling for a strike on UNESCO... it's making fun of our governments overreaction to the Palestinians joining UNESCO... duh!
...from the United States for additional security, but they're freakin' outa luck. UNESCO made their own bed and decided to sleep with animals, so eventually they'll get hit with the "global sanctions" in Leviticus, won't they? As ye sow, so shall ye reap, and all that.
...from the United States for additional security, but they're freakin' outa luck. UNESCO made their own bed and decided to sleep with animals, so their fate is pretty much foretold in Leviticus, isn't it?
Hilarious! A foolish move by UNESCO.
Clever, very clever.
If course not. Its the UN Educational, Scientific and CULTURAL Organization.
to bolster the 'State of Palestine' and looks the other way when the PA acts as any aggressive Islamic country acts. In the eyes of the UN 'Palestine' already exists and the state of Israel is in doubt. Why does Israel accommodate these subversive pro-Arab Globalists???
UNESCO claims the cartoon constitutes incitement and that this ‘endangers the lives of unarmed diplomats’. A few months ago Richard Falk, UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, posted on his private blog (since then this was removed) a cartoon of a dog with a kippah urinating on a statue of Lady Justice. UN human rights chief Navi Pillay commented on this ‘“I utterly deplore and condemn anti- Semitism, as I do any form of incitement to hatred and racial discrimination.”, and Falk (under pressure) apologized (but admits he doesn’t feel there was anything wrong with the cartoon), Falk is still in his job. So, a cartoon by an Israeli endangers the lives of ‘unarmed’ diplomats but a cartoon by their own anti-Semite does not endanger the lives of Israelis and Americans. Go figure.
Bloody-minded and typical of Israeli State-sponsored "logic". People want peace - yet Israeli politik offers the choice between a rock and a hard-place. The only thing majority of people Want and Need is not included the two 'either-or' options which the Foreign Ministry presented as a choice-between.
supposed 'de-legitimization' of Israel, so why can't UNESCO (or any one) complain about us 'de-legitimizing' them. As the saying goes: sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Evidently the UN hasn't grasped the concept of freedom of the press yet because it is controlled by third world country barbaric lunatics. That's why they don't understand that the government can't tell the press what do say or not to say, that they weren't involved whatsoever with the cartoon, and that UNESCO's headquarters isn't actually a military target of Israel. This is why I lack an ounce of respect for the UN.
No money, no sense of humour, not thinking before making a nutty decison! Come on guys, calm down!
Yes, the IDF should protect UNESCO workers if there is incitement against UNESCO in the Israeli press. That is a government function.
They should sometimes see the Egyptian and all other Arab cartoons directed against Jews? Did UNESCO ever raise their voice over them? I do not remember.
There is nothing funny in the cartoon just lack of any taste and disregard for sensitivities -even among Haaretz, and that's no wonder.
this is the funniest thing ive ever read, not just the cartoon the whole convo, thats why israel is great, say it like it is!
The idea that a harmless cartoon like that endangers the lives of unarmed diplomats it hillarious. The real problem here is not the cartoon its the fact that UNESCO are bitter than because they admitted the palestinians they have lost a fifth of their annual budget. Thank you Haaretz for that cartoon please, please give us more like it because gives us all something to laugh about after reading the doom and gloom from Gideon Levy & co.
Was the cartoon thoughtless? Probably. Did UNESCO overreact? Of course. Did Haaretz have the right to publish the cartoon? Absolutely. That's not the problem. The cartoon is irritating because it's adolescent and not clever or funny.
UNESCO scolds an Israeli diplomat because of what's written in a newspaper? Is this the government's newspaper? UNESCO is responsible for the consequences of its own actions, and earning the dismay of the Israeli public has nothing to do with the Israeli government.
this is whats so infuriating about the world - jews go right, they are to blame, jews go left, its all the same. im a former resident of mrs. bokovas region and im glad that her people continue to live a miserable life while they continue their xenophobic ways. let them learn the hard way...
that the cartoon was in good taste but to take that cartoon over the horizon into a threat against the life and limb of UNESCON's is proposerterous.
Can we call him, Irina Bokova and UNESCO in general including its new member complicit with Israel's attack? After all the letter only partially criticized the "incitement".
When dealing with the psychopaths in israel you can never be too sure so better check.
Perhaps it should be employed on the many occassions on which Jews take exception to somethnig in the international media which they find offensive. Haaretz often reports on such things no matter where they occur.
Of your point? You never fail to use your clear hate towards Muslims for any reasons. you are a real anti-Semite.
Just like he couldn't undersatnd what all the fuss was about when the IDF hit the UN compound in Gaza. People get upset at the silliest of thing don't they!