Cartoonist Fired for Gaza Cartoon

Comments ¹²

1. C Conner

   I am writing in response to recent criticism surrounding the cartoon your publication approved, which shows a child reaching up toward a concrete wall topped with barbed wire, pleading: “Please give me food.” Some have labeled the image antisemitic. I respectfully disagree.

   This cartoon does not target a religion or an ethnic group. Rather, it highlights a brutal and undeniable humanitarian crisis: the starvation of civilians — many of them children — who are trapped, voiceless, and desperate. Such suffering, wherever it occurs, is a stain on our shared humanity and must be called out with clarity and courage.

   Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all share a fundamental moral tenet: the protection of the innocent and the obligation to feed the hungry. In the Hebrew Bible, Isaiah reminds us to “share your food with the hungry and provide the poor wanderer with shelter.” Jesus tells his followers, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” And the Qur’an makes it clear: “They give food out of love for Him to the needy, the orphan, and the prisoner, saying, ‘We feed you for the sake of God alone.’”

   Starving an entire civilian population is not only a war crime — it is a moral crime, one that transcends borders, politics, and ideology. Speaking out against such atrocities is not antisemitism, nor is it anti-anything — it is pro-humanity.

   The cartoon is not hateful. It is a mirror, held up to all of us, asking what kind of world we are allowing to exist. And if it makes us uncomfortable, perhaps that discomfort is not a sign of offense, but of conscience.

   The cartoonist should not have been fired. They gave voice to the voiceless and reminded us of our responsibility as fellow human beings. If we cannot tolerate an image of a starving child, perhaps it’s because we know, deep down, we are complicit in ignoring that child’s suffering.

   1. Mark Morey

      I couldn’t express my feelings any better than this. Two letters and the suits order the artist dropped from the paper? AN “alternative” paper at that? What a crock.

      1. JP Trostle

         Creative Loafing hasn’t been altie for a very long time — even before they were chopped up and sold for parts after the newspaper crash in the Great Recession.

2. Francis M

   Dear Mr. Roa (and Mr. Howard and Mr. Wagner),

   I read that a few of your readers, disliking a cartoon you published, wrote to you to protest the cartoon as antisemitic. The cartoon was by Bob Whitmore for your paper, Creative Loafing Tampa.

   The cartoon depicted a boy standing before a razor-wire-topped concrete block wall, pleading for food with raised arms. Beyond the wall the flag of Israel can be seen. The caption: “Wailing wall.”

   It’s a simple cartoon with a simple message: the boy is on the Gaza side of that wall, civilian, young, likely helpless—and hungry.

   It’s also simple to understand that the cartoon deplores the boy’s treatment by the Israeli state, not the Jewish people; It is the Israeli flag you see beyond that wall.

   Please reconsider this reflexive conflation of a political statement with antisemitism, and rehire Mr. Whitmore.

   Francis M

   1. Eric

      S: If “neighbors help neighbors,” then why did the events of 10/7/23 happen? Is starting a war of aggression against a stronger neighbor helpful?

      Millions of tons of aid came THROUGH Israel throughout the war. The horrible food shortages is due to the Government of Gaza’s intransigence, and the refusal of UN to cooperate with Israel on delivery.

      The cartoonist was fired because the editorial staff of Creative Loafing read the two complaints and AGREED WITH THEM.

      Remember, freedom of the press is reserved to those who OWN ONE.

      1. ROBERT W MOYE

         Since they are a print newspaper, they are very likely struggling financially. That’s just the nature of the beast and one of the reasons we all don’t “own one.”

         What I think happened was in a team meeting, someone mentioned that this might bring down the wrath of Fearless Leader or his minions. Since the publisher doesn’t have the financial backing for a multi-million dollar settlement, like CBS, NYT, WaPo etc, they fired the cartoonist.

      2. John Thomas

         You ignore decades of context. That attack followed years of Israeli occupation, blockade, settlement expansion, and systematic denial of Palestinian rights—conditions widely described by human rights organizations as apartheid. Framing it as a one-sided act of aggression erases the ongoing reality of oppression and the imbalance of power that fuels the conflict.

         The assertion that “millions of tons of aid came through Israel” is also misleading. Israel tightly controls Gaza’s borders and has long blocked or delayed essential goods, with humanitarian groups repeatedly reporting severe restrictions. During the war, UN agencies and aid organizations documented Israel’s obstruction of convoys, attacks on aid sites, and the creation of famine conditions. International law requires the occupying power to ensure relief reaches civilians, and blaming Gaza’s authorities or the UN shifts responsibility away from Israel’s control of access and its deliberate use of siege tactics.

3. S

   a reporter, or cartoonist in this case, should not be fired because TWO people did not like the cartoon. There are many people who are hungry and possibly starving in Gaza. The country Israel is close by…neighbors help neighbors . I hope these two people sent aid to the people in Gaza…

4. Arkholt

   Fired for a pro-Palestine cartoon in an alternative weekly? Because of TWO letters? Either this is an extreme overreaction or they were looking for absolutely any reason to fire him.

   1. Don Kelly

      That’s what I was thinking as well. Disgraceful actions by the owners.

5. Amy Barlow

   I am married to a pastor. We were both appalled by this blatant censorship. The comic is poignant and relevant, appropriate for this moment. Children are starving in Gaza at this very minute.

   Many pp who object to political cartoonists simply don’t understand nuance; they lack critical thinking skills. Please REINSTATE the artist… and have their back. NO CENSORSHIP. (PS my adult kid is Jewish and feels the same.)

6. Lore Eargle

   This is the link to Bob Whitmore’s post on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C97Zpmy7A/, where I first saw that he had been fired. My husband and I have since written to Editor Ray Roa and the publisher. I spoke to a friend that day who told me she specifically pick’s up CL so that she can see Bob Whitmore’s latest cartoon.