“The War Octopus” - “Ondanks onze beschaving (of beschavingspeil)”, via Google translate: Despite our culture (or civilisation level).

Published 27 August, 1939 in Algemeen Handelsblad (Amsterdam). 

Image Source: International Institute of Social History, Collection: IISG (Pieck, H.), Call # BG D55/850. (Accessed 23rd Oct 2010).

Last few minutes of “Victory Through Air Power” Disney made WWII propaganda film that shows Japanese octopus being attacked by American eagle. (Trying to get hold of a copy of this.)

Published in the Al-Watan (Qatar) on June 2, 2010 (via FightHatred.com).

Like the Latuff cartoon this was a response to the Israel IDF boarding the Gaza flotilla. Unlike the Latuff cartoon, this is undisputedly an anti-semitic cartoon. “The cartoon depicts nearly all classic anti-Semitic caricatures of a Jew: religious, hook nosed, wearing glasses and ugly.” (via FightHatred.com, 2010).

I disagree with the Fight Hatred assessment of the use of the octopus motif as representative of global Jewish conspiracy, in this case, simply because the boarding took place at sea, as such tends to lend itself to using sea life, like, I don’t know, say octopuses? (this doesn’t necessarily mean the artist wasn’t aware of the connection).

According to FightHatred.com the caption/tentacles read “terrorist state”. (can anyone confirm this?)

Flotilla cartoon followup

Sometimes I don’t notice things in cartoons that I really should. It is somewhat inexcusable given how many of these I see. As an example: The Carlos Latuff Israel as octopus vs Peace flotilla, from a couple of months ago. I did not see the swastika that replaced the Star of David on the Israeli flag.

Which brings me to the octopus and Israel. The octopus has been used as an anti-semitic symbol, but is also very commonly used as an a metaphor for government. It is the dual nature of the octopus metaphor is political cartoons: the representation of the ‘monstrous’ governments and organisations, but it also can be used to demonise and dehumanise of a group when represented by a non-human, particularly one as alien as an octopus. Of the cartoons I have seen dealing with Israel: some are obviously anti-Semitic, but other are merely representing a government, like any other, and criticising the policies, institutions or members of that government. And some unintentionally (or intentionally) cross the (vague) line between.

In this case of the Latuff cartoon, I think it could be argued either way (and these are not mutually exclusive categories), and there is a discussion on Wikimedia for those interested.

What I find problematic isn’t representing the state of Israel as an octopus¹, but replacing the Star of David with a swastika. I just don’t think it was necessary, and undermines the message in the cartoon. It least, the message I thought it was trying to tell. It would be less so, if there was a stronger, more specific, correlation between Nazi policy/behaviour and the attack by the IDF on the flotilla. The rather vague claim that Israel is behaving like Nazi Germany doesn’t really hold in this instance (unless someone can instruct me otherwise?).

To reiterate: I don’t think this cartoon is intentionally anti-Semitic, I do think the use of a swastika is (very) problematic.

A few questions: What is the role of authorial intent and what is read into something like the above? Just because the artist intend only to criticise Israeli policy, does that exclude it from being anti-Semitic?

¹ I utterly reject the claim that the octopus is one of a few zoomorphic symbols that are specifically anti-Semitic. It was used to represent groups and governments before Israel, and continues to be used to represent groups and governments outside Israel. It has been appropriated for use in anti-Semitic cartoons, however the monstrous octopus is not inherently anti-semitic (not sure I’m making myself clear?) ?

A brief summary, as this is a current event: The Freedom Flotilla is a movement that is trying to get aid, by sea, through the Israel blockade of Gaza. Early on May 31st, Israeli commandos boarded the ships in international waters, killing nine passengers and injuring dozen others.

Carlos Latuff (the artist) graciously permitted me to use the above cartoon of an Israeli octopus attacking the Freedom Flotilla, and answer a few questions relating to it.

 
Why depict Israel (IDF) as an octopus?

Not anything special about it. Octopus is a sea creature, the Israeli attack against flotilla happened on the sea. Due to old tales of ships being attacked by giant octopus and squids I though it would be interesting making a giant creature.

Have you ever used the octopus as a metaphor in previous cartoons? If so, in what way? (and for the same reasons?)

I remember a cartoon I made of George Bush spreading his tentacles (which were oil pump hoses) around the world.

“Es kommt der Tag!” (The day comes!), circa 1941, shows an octopus with only four limbs (and no eyes) in the shape of a swastika. The image appeared on a gummed perforated label to be used much as stickers are used now. To appear on street posts, tables, letter boxes etc. This one in particular was designed by the British for use in Germany during World War Two.

To learn more the is a very informative article “Propaganda Gummed Labels of WWII” at Psywarrior by SGM Herbert A. Friedman (Ret.)

Image Source: “Propaganda Gummed Labels of WWII” http://www.psywarrior.com/WWIPropGLabels.html, Accessed 22nd May 2009.