Anti-Zionist NGO shares antisemitic “Independence Day” post on social media

News2022.06.07. 14:18

Anti-Zionist NGO Jewish Voice for Peace shared an antisemitic picture on Instagram titled “Independence Day,” depicting Israeli soldiers raising their blood-filled glasses in a toast.

The anti-Zionist NGO Jewish Voice for Peace shared an image on its Instagram on May 26, depicting Israel Defense Forces soldiers drinking blood to celebrate Israel’s Independence Day. The image led to accusations by Jewish social media users, claiming that the NGO engaged in the classic antisemitic narrative of the “blood libel,” which holds that Jews ritually murdered Christian children to obtain their blood —which they imbibe, consume in matzah, and use in Passover rituals. The narrative has been used to dehumanize Jews.

The picture, entitled „Independence Day,” depicts the celebration of Israel’s Independence Day by Israeli soldiers, who raise their blood-filled glasses in a toast. The appendage of a construction vehicle holds up a string of blue and white decorations, which a Palestinian boy with scissors is cutting. The ground is soaked in blood and strewn with the bodies of Palestinians and uprooted trees, reports The Jerusalem Post.

The illustrations covered several topics, including Israel accepting refugees. A picture entitled „Ukraine Israel” depicts IDF soldiers stealing homes from Palestinians to provide them to Ukrainian refugees. In March, JVP accused Israel of “settling Jewish Ukrainian refugees on land it illegally occupies” while preventing “seven million Palestinian refugees from returning.”

According to JVP, the UK and Bahrain-based artist Sara Qaed’s caricatures „focus on corruption, power, occupation and human being,” and her style uses comics, animation, and drawings.

Aviva Klompas, former head of speechwriting at Israel’s mission to the UN, said: „Truly disgusting. Jewish Voice for Peace posted a cartoon of two Jews drinking blood. In addition to being extremist and anti-Israel, JVP can add antisemitic to its resume.”

Commenters supportive of the art pieces noted that the artist removed the Star of David from the Israeli flags, which they praised as an attempt to avoid accusations of antisemitism and to express that Zionism was incorrectly connected to Judaism.