Timeline: Richard Falk's Anti-Semitic Cartoon,
Denial, and Non-Apology Apology
• June 29 - Richard Falk, the UN Palestine expert tasked by the Human Rights Council to investigate "Israel's violations of the bases and principles of international law," posts a cartoon on his blog depicting a bloodthirsty dog wearing a Jewish religious headcovering.
• July 6, 9:22 AM (California time) - UN Watch, a Geneva-based human rights organization, exposed Falk's publication of the cartoon, condemns its incitement to anti-Semitism, and calls on UN rights chief Navi Pillay to speak out.
• July 6, 10:38 AM - Falk responds: "It is a complete lie. I know nothing about such a cartoon, and would never publish such a thing, ever."
• July 6, 10:54 AM - Falk deletes the cartoon. He explains: "Maybe I do not understand the cartoon, and if it offends in this way I have removed it from the blog. It may be in bad taste to an extent I had not earlier appreciated, but I certainly didn’t realize that it could be viewed as anti-semitic, and still do not realize."
• July 6, 1:42 PM - Falk is still unable to see any problem with the cartoon: "I did not perceive any racist connotations, and certainly no anti-semitic implications, and since it offends people I have removed it without understanding why."
• July 6, 2:30 PM – Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, denounces Falk’s cartoon on the floor of the US Congress. Click here for text and video.
• July 6, 3:41 PM - Falk points a finger at UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer: "Neuer consistently defames me, claiming I am a 9/11 conspiracy theorist when I am not, and so forth."
• July 6, approx. 5:00 pm - Falk issues an Apology for Unintentionally Posting Anti-Semitic Cartoon in Qaddafi Arrest Warrant Blog. "With apologies, I realize that the cartoon... had strongly anti-semitic symbolism that I had not detected before it was pointed out to me... My intention has never been to demean in any way Jews as a people despite my strong criticisms of Israeli policies, and some versions of Zionist support... Beyond this, if we are to have a sustainable human future we must also make peace with nature, and treat animals with as much respect as possible... At the same time, I am quite aware that many of the messages were motivated to discredit me due to my views of Israeli policies and behavior."
• July 6, 7:54 PM - Falk admits to knowingly attacking the US: "I did realize that the cartoon was anti-American, but I did not realize that it was also anti-semitic."
• July 7 - UN Watch called on UN rights chief Navi Pillay to lead efforts to fire Richard Falk. Click here for UN Watch press release. |