In the past months the Qatari papers, published in Qatar and in London, have continued to publish flagrantly anti-American cartoons[1] that demonize and mock the U.S. and accuse it of abetting Israel’s war in Gaza by lending it military, political and legal support. Some cartoons even depict Israel as being in control of the U.S.
Demonization of U.S. and virulent criticism against it are also prominent in Qatari press articles that refer to it as “the cursed Uncle Sam”[2] and “the nation of heresy”[3] and describe it as “one of the main sources of terrorism”[4] and as the one “primarily responsible” for the situation in Gaza.[5] In fact, the Qatari press occasionally features articles expressing hope for a military attack on U.S. forces, such as an article in the Al-Watan daily that urged Iran’s allies in the region to launch attacks on U.S. troops stationed there so that the U.S. “will come back with the bodies of its slain and its hostages, humiliated and defeated.”[6]
This report reviews the Qatari media campaign against the U.S., as reflected in dozens of cartoons that were published in the Qatari press over the last several months.
Demonization Of The U.S.
Many of the Qatari cartoons depict the U.S. as a demonic, criminal and malevolent figure that rules the world and forces it to obey its commands.
The criminal U.S. roasts the world on the torch of liberty (Al-Arabi Al-Jadid, London, March 16, 2024)
U.S. Congress members, depicted as wolves, applaud Israel’s prime minister, also portrayed as a wolf with blood-stained jaws and paws, as he delivers a speech (Al-Arabi Al-Jadid, London, July 26, 2024)
Uncle Sam forces the world to see only "America" (Al-Watan, Qatar, June 27, 2024)
“The World’s No. 1 player!!!” (Al-Watan, Qatar, June 30, 2024)
Uncle Sam says “Gaza is in my heart!!” (Al-Watan, Qatar, July 3, 2024)
The U.S. Is Party To Israel’s War In Gaza
Many cartoons convey that the U.S. abets the crimes Israel is allegedly committing in Gaza by supplying it with weapons, intelligence and other assistance.
U.S. President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu fire at Gaza (Al-Arabi Al-Jadid, London, April 24, 2024, August 21, 2024)
“Cooperation in the Gaza war” (Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, July 25, 2024)
“The Gaza blood trend”: Uncle Sam holds Netanyahu as the latter bleeds the Gaza Strip. The reference is to a TikTok challenge that involves spraying water from a bottle (Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, August 13, 2024)
“The American role in the aggression against Gaza”: U.S. supplies “weapons and intelligence” to Israel (Al-Sharq, Qatar, August 27, 2024)
The U.S. and Israel jointly bomb displaced camps in Gaza (Al-Arabi Al-Jadid, London, October 14, 2024)
The U.S. covers for the Israeli war on Gaza (Al-Watan, Qatar, October 12, 2023, May 19, 2024)
“American military support for Israel’s war on Gaza”: Uncle Sam writes “to Gaza with love” on a rocket (Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, June 8, 2024)
The U.S. supplies Netanyahu with ammunition as he continues to fire from under the “ceasefire [negotiations] table” (Al-Sharq, Qatar, March 8, 2024)
Netanyahu lights a stick of dynamite “made in USA” (Al-Watan, Qatar, May 17, 2024)
American missile provides “legitimacy to Netanyahu“ (Al-Sharq, Qatar, October 3, 2024)
The U.S. and Israel jointly perpetrated the “Dawn Massacre”[7] (Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, August 12, 2024)
U.S. Provides Israel With Political, Legal Backing In Gaza War
Some of the cartoons condemned the U.S. for providing Israel with political and legal support.[8]
“The American support for the Israeli entity”: the Statue of Liberty eliminates evidence of Israel’s crimes (Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, March 7, 2024)
Israel pulverizes Gaza while the U.S. cleans up after it (Al-Sharq, Qatar, July 12, 2024)
The U.S. provides the Jewish thug with a bridge from Gaza to Lebanon (Al-Sharq, Qatar, September 27, 2024)
The U.S. gives Netanyahu a blood transfusion as we kills the Gazans (Al-Sharq, Qatar, August 7, 2024)
Gaza is stuck in Netanyahu’s throat and Uncle Sam offers him some water to wash it down (Al-Sharq, Qatar, August 25, 2024)
Israel defies the Arab world while hiding behind America (Al-Watan, Qatar, October 6, 2024)
Uncle Sam reassures the furious world amid the death and destruction in Gaza, while the Jew stands by smiling (Al-Sharq, Qatar, April 26, 2024)
Propped up by the U.S., Israel mocks UN calls to stop the war (Al-Sharq, Qatar, August 30, 2024)
“The American mediation to stop the war in Gaza” only increases the bloodshed (Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, May 10, 2024)
“The U.S. buys time for the genocide [in Gaza] to continue” during “negotiations for a pause” (Al-Sharq, Qatar, August 22, 2024)
The U.S. sheds crocodile tears over the dead in Gaza while preventing the UN Security Council from condemning Israel (Al-Sharq, Qatar, July 5, 2024)
“The U.S. veto on Palestine UN membership” is a rocket that harms the Palestinians (Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, April 20, 2024)
The war in Gaza supported by the U.S. (Al-Watan, Qatar, March 7, 2024)
The U.S. Congress, which allowed Netanyahu to deliver a speech, helped him wash off the blood of his victims and pose as a peace-seeking pilgrim (Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, July 28, 2024)
Israel and the U.S. shackle the world while the war in Gaza rages on (Al-Sharq, Qatar, September 20, 2024)
Israel Controls The U.S.
Several cartoons portray the U.S. as controlled by Israel.
The U.S. presidential candidates and their running mates are all in Netanyahu’s pocket (Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, August 27, 2024)
Israel drives the American chariot, whether pulled by the Republicans or by the Democrats (Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, June 30, 2024)
The U.S. is a drone controlled by Netanyahu (Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, August 23, 2024)
[1] See MEMRI Dispatch No. 10909, Qatari Press Attacks U.S., West For Their Support Of Israel: They Are Complicit In Its Crimes And Pose A Threat To Democracy And Morality; The U.S. Itself Won Its Independence By Means Of Terror, October 26, 2023; and MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 11171, Anti-American Cartoons In Qatari Press: U.S. Unreservedly Supports 'Bloodshed' In Gaza; Will Be Relegated To Trashcan Of History, March 6, 2024.
[2] See September 18, 2024 article by Qatari journalist Ibrahim bin Hashem Al-Sada in the Qatari daily Al-Sharq.
[3] See September 12, 2024 article by Qatari writer Abdullah Al-Amadi in Al-Sharq,.
[4] See June 30, 2024 article by Egyptian writer Sami Kamal Al-Din in the Qatari Al-Raya daily.
[5] See e.g., September 3, 2024 article by Qatari journalist Ahmad Ali in Al-Sharq. In the same daily, Qatari journalist Ibtisam Aal Sa'd recently wrote that “America’s hands are drenched in Palestinian blood and it is Israel’s partner in the murder of Gaza’s children” (Al-Sharq, Qatar, August 26, 2024).
[6] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 11338, Article In Qatari Daily Al-Watan: 'The U.S. Will Come Back With The Bodies Of Its Slain And Its Hostages, Humiliated And Defeated', May 21, 2024.
[7] “The Dawn Massacre” is the name given by Hamas to Israel’ August 10, 2024 attack on a Hamas command center that was located in the Al-Tabaeen school, near a mosque, in Gaza’s Al-Daraj neighborhood.
[8] On Qatar’s support for the diplomatic and legal campaign against Israel see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 11082 - South Africa's Diplomatic Campaign Against Israel – In Service Of Hamas And In Cooperation With Hamas' Patron, Qatar – January 18, 2024.
