Press Council Upholds Complaint Against Nine Newspapers for Anti-Semitic Cartoon

‘The Council considers this imagery encodes the anti-Semitic trope that Jewish people secretly control or manipulate global events ...,’ said the Press Council.

People walk past the offices of The Age newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, on July 26, 2018. William West/AFP via Getty Images

Australia’s self-regulatory body for print and digital news has ruled that The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald breached the industry’s Standards of Practice by publishing a cartoon that depicted an anti-Semitic trope.

The comic by artist Cathy Wilcox depicted conservative-leaning supporters of a royal commission into the Bondi terror attack marching to the beat of a drum held by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The cartoon was published in print and online on Jan. 7, 2026, by the two publications owned by Nine Entertainment.

It came less than a month after two gunmen killed 15 people and injured more than 40 during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, an attack that prompted widespread calls for a deeper inquiry into anti-Semitism in Australia.

At the time of its publication, the cartoon was deemed anti-Semitic by both Anti-Defamation Commission Chair Dvir Ambramovich and stalwart political cartoonist Paul Zanetti.

Supporters of the cartoon argued it was fair criticism, while opponents said it drew on a longstanding anti-Semitic trope of Jewish world domination by implying that those calling for a royal commission were being directed by Israel rather than responding to a serious terrorist attack in Australia.

The Press Council, an independent body that regulates journalism ethics, released its findings into the cartoon on June 10 following numerous complaints about its content.

In a statement which The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald ran in print and online, the Council took into account a number of mitigating factors, including the publication’s argument that it had not intended prejudice or offence, and that the cartoon could be interpreted in multiple ways.

It was also noted that the newspapers had issued apologies to the Jewish community.

However, the Council ultimately determined that the offensive nature of the cartoon outweighed its validity as a form of political commentary.

“The Council considers this imagery encodes the anti-Semitic trope that Jewish people secretly control or manipulate global events, governments, financial systems, or the media,” it said.

“The Council considers this imagery was likely to cause or contribute to substantial offence, distress and prejudice particularly to those who are Jewish.

“Accordingly, the Council concludes that the publications failed to take reasonable steps to avoid causing or contributing materially to substantial offence, distress or prejudice in breach of General Principle 6.”

Jewish Community’s Response

Australian Jewish Association CEO Robert Gregory said many people dismissed the Jewish community’s concerns when the cartoon was first published.

“We support freedom of speech, including the freedom of cartoonists to publish controversial opinions and the freedom of newspapers to publish them,” he told The Epoch Times.

“But freedom of speech does not mean freedom from criticism. The Jewish community was right to speak out and challenge what many recognised as a classic anti-Semitic stereotype.

“The Press Council’s determination is a reminder that anti-Semitism is not always obvious. Sometimes it appears in the form of old conspiracy theories repackaged for a modern audience.”

The Epoch Times has reached out to The Age for comment.