AFR defends controversial Netanyahu cartoon amid antisemitism accusations
The Australian Financial Review has defended its decision to publish a cartoon by illustrator David Rowe that has drawn strong criticism from Jewish leaders.
Editor-in-chief James Chessell told Sky News he was “supportive of the cartoon”, which appeared in the newspaper last Saturday, 21 March 2026.
The controversial Rowe cartoon (AFR)
The cartoon depicts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu riding a missile bearing the face of US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu is shown conducting an “oil check” on the missile, with the caption “Running on empty”. Oil check.”
The liquid being drawn from the Trump-faced missile is coloured red rather than black. A speech bubble from the US president reads, “Torah! Torah! Torah! Or whatever.” Next to Netanyahu appear the words “oy vey”, while a building in the background is labelled “Pearl Harbour 2026”, referencing recent remarks by Trump.
Jewish leaders have condemned the illustration, describing it as offensive and accusing it of drawing on longstanding antisemitic themes.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin criticised the imagery and language used in the cartoon, arguing it relied on familiar and harmful tropes.
“Trump’s critics have always cast him as wholly self-centred, isolationist and in contempt of traditional allies. Until now. Suddenly he has the blood-soaked Jew steering him, coercing him to do his bidding,” Ryvchin wrote on X.
“Chanting ‘Torah’ as the Jew leads him to disaster because the Jews are our misfortune. ‘Oy vey’, the Yiddish phrase of angst. Not Hebrew, the official language of Israel, but Yiddish, the language of exiled European Jews, which mockingly adorns a million neo-Nazi tweets and cartoons.
Alex Ryvchin
“This isn’t clever or insightful. It plays for the cheap thrills of rusted-on antisemites and haters of Israel, which are increasingly difficult to tell apart. Odious piece of propaganda from AFR’s David Rowe.”
Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dr Dvir Abramovich criticised the cartoon in a letter to AFR editor-in-chief James Chessell, which he posted on his Facebook page.
He described the imagery as much closer to old antisemitic imagery than to ordinary political satire. Abramovich argued that the elements depicted together revive classic tropes of Jewish manipulation and control over world leaders and events, and urged the newspaper to reflect on the harmful meaning of such images, especially at a time of heightened antisemitism in Australia.
Former Labor MP Michael Danby also criticised the cartoon, writing on Facebook: “Veteran anti-Jewish crank David Rowe rides again.”
The criticism follows an earlier controversy involving Rowe’s work. In 2020, The Australian Financial Review apologised after publishing a cartoon depicting then treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who is Jewish, following complaints from Jewish community organisations.
At the time, the Anti-Defamation Commission said the cartoon was offensive and raised concerns about antisemitic imagery, while the Executive Council of Australian Jewry said such depictions have “a long and disturbing history”.
The AFR said it “abhors antisemitism” and apologised for the offence caused. Rowe subsequently amended the illustration.
The latest controversy comes amid broader scrutiny of political cartoons in Australia involving Israel and Jewish figures. Earlier this year, a cartoon by Cathy Wilcox published in Nine newspapers, including The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, drew criticism for suggesting Australians calling for a royal commission into antisemitism were acting at the direction of Israel. Nine later apologised for the hurt the cartoon caused.
An overzealous post; biased in ignoring the international implicaitons of Iran, its proxies, and China. Cheap shots at Israel come from people who do not know history; hell Rowe ‘s dad was in foreign service.
Karma is a great thing. Australia has devolved into a weak ignorant nation who has know idea of how vulnerable it is. They are at great risk from China. So they by a submarine from the US and feeol better. But they have a limp military, and can’t even participate with its traditional allies.
So this cartoonist can take cheaps shots at the Jews and Israel demonstrating his woke, hateful view of the world.
But he needs to do his research and watch videos of the Iranian citizens who are cheering the US and Israel on, and thanking them for at least trying to destroy the death grip, radical islam has had on the middle eat for decades.s
When China completes its toxic occupation of the Australia’s island nations to the north, and patrols with their goofy submarines off Darwin, Australia will call the US for action and protectioin. We have limitations too. Australia needs to ramp up, and prepare its own defenses; cause it will happen somewhere, and it will be more than China flooding the zone with finger cuffs.
Apalling. Shame on Chessell for “supporting the cartoon”. Even got the Israeli flag being used as an oil-rag…could Rowe have included any more hateful imagery? Good on Shari, Alex, Michael and Dr Abramovich for calling it out. Really sickening.
Disgusting and yet somehow wholly expcted