I Was Canceled for a Cartoon

I stand by my depiction of Hamas' human shields and its critics. Journalists must not kowtow to the voices of dissent

- MICHAEL RAMIREZ

THE GRUESOME DETAILS AND brutal savagery of the October 7 attack launched by Hamas operatives on innocent civilians was shocking to even the most battle-hardened soldiers and war correspondents.

Evidence of beheadings, babies shot in their cribs, parents shot in front of their children, entire families massacred, the torture and execution of the elderly, people burned alive and hundreds of young people gunned down while attending a musical festival for peace, were widely reported and verified by video, audio and forensic evidence.

Most people would be horrified. Yet in an interview on Lebanese television, senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad hailed the brutal October 7 attack and pledged to repeat it again and again until Israel is "removed," claiming Hamas "was the victim," therefore "everything they do is justified."

That interview was the inspiration for a recent cartoon I drew for The Washington Post depicting Hamad and his human shields.

But my cartoon was pulled off The Washington Post editorial website amid an internal outcry. Critics claimed the cartoon was "racist" for stereotyping and demonizing Palestinians. They said the cartoon ignored the death of thousands and the suffering of millions of Palestinians as a result of the Israeli military response.

Any decent human being would agree that this war is catastrophic. I mourn the loss of innocent life on both sides. I am shocked by the destruction that has shattered their lives and grieve for those families. I wish for the safe return of the more than 240 hostages that Hamas has taken. But those are separate issues.