New Century, Old-School Propaganda
Commentary on the Caricature Published on 12/20/23 in the Toronto Sun.
The caricature of President Zelensk by the Toronto Sun newspaper is a public display of both anti-Ukrainian and anti-Semitic rhetoric.
In addition to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Laryssa Waler Hetmanczuk, Executive director of communications for the Premier of Ontario, summarized community outrage best in her opinion piece of the graphic libel.
"...Beyond shock, I also felt a deep sense of hurt because for years, Ukrainians have been fighting not only a full-scale war of survival, but also a war of misinformation from the massive, effective and well-funded Russian propaganda machine. I also felt hurt for my Jewish friends, who, in this time of rising anti-Semitism, had to see yet another caricature of a Jewish man with an exaggerated nose picking the pocket of an unsuspecting victim. My feelings were exacerbated because, as a community, we are tired of trying to rationally explain what’s at stake in Russia’s war against Ukraine..."1
Outrage over the cartoon led to the newspaper's editor-in-chief Adrienne Batra apologizing and indicating that the newspaper would no longer use the artist's services.
"...It was hurtful to Canadians of Ukrainian origin, and to all Ukrainians, fighting an existential struggle against Russian aggression. It also used anti-Semitic stereotypes in its depiction of Zelensky. It was hurtful to Canadians of Jewish origin, and to the Jewish people, currently under assault from a global wave of anti-Semitism...."2
It is sad to see that the Toronto Sun is turning into a conglomerate of the Nazi newspaper Der Stürmer and the Soviet newspaper Pravda. Has history taught nothing?
The issue is that the initial approval for publishing content that directly impacts these communities demonstrates the general tolerability and acceptability of blatantly anti-Semitic and anti-Ukrainian narratives. This case is just one example of how media contributes to the festering formula that targets minorities as society's scapegoats. Looking to the past, caricatures were published and contributed to the culmination of the general public supporting violence and genocide.