Following the arrival of an Israeli delegation in Brazil to assist search and rescue efforts after a tragic dam collapse in the country, Brazilian cartoonist Carlos Latuff welcomed them with a caricature portraying Israeli soldiers as murderers.
He is best known for his caricatures depicting Arab Spring events and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, which became a priority after visiting the area in the late 1990s.
Latuff's latest caricature showed Israeli soldiers getting off a plane with their hands covered in blood as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro greets them. In the caricature, the soldiers with a grin on their faces, tell Bolsonaro, "Sorry for our delay! We're busy killing Palestinians."
In response, Israeli comic book artist and a member of the Israeli Cartoon Project, Uri Fink, responded to Latuff with a caricature of the Brazilian artist holding a BDS sign while preventing an Israeli soldier from saving a little girl.
Many of Latuff’s caricatures have been labeled as anti-Semitic, however, he responded to these allegations in an interview with The Forward newspaper, saying, “My cartoons have no focus on the Jews or on Judaism. My focus is Israel as a political entity, as a government.”
He added, “Especially Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.”
This article has been adapted from its original source.
