President Larry Jameson speaks at this year's MLK Social Justice Lecture on Jan. 24.
Credit: Derek WongInterim Penn President Larry Jameson criticized recent political cartoons published by a lecturer at the Annenberg School for Communication.
In a statement published on University social media Sunday night, Jameson said that the cartoons do not reflect his or the University’s views, describing them as “reprehensible, with antisemitic symbols, and incongruent with our efforts to fight hate.” The artwork facing scrutiny was made by cartoonist and freelance writer Dwayne Booth, who teaches courses at Penn on political cartooning.
Since Oct. 7, Booth has published several cartoons criticizing Israel, President Joe Biden’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war, and Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu — many of which have been criticized online for being antisemitic. One Booth cartoon shows Jews in a Nazi concentration camp — presumably dated to the Holocaust — holding signs opposing the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, while another has been criticized for appearing to resemble the antisemitic trope of blood libel.
Allegations against Booth's cartoons were first reported by the Washington Free Beacon, a conservative media outlet, and have circulated online since then.
Jameson said Penn has a commitment to open expression, academic freedom, and the right to express different views. He added that community members also have the “responsibility to challenge what we find offensive."
“Not everything that can be said, should be said,” Jameson wrote.
This is Jameson's first response to allegations of antisemitism that have arisen since he assumed the interim presidency in December. However, he said in the statement that he "will not, and should not, respond to every event on our campus."
Booth, who publishes cartoons under the name "Mr. Fish" on a personal website, currently teaches a communications course titled COMM 2920: "WARNING! Graphic Content: Political Cartoons, Comix, and the Uncensored Artist."
One of Booth's cartoons, titled "The Anti-Semite," depicts three individuals drinking blood — out of glasses labeled "Gaza" — in front of an Israeli and American flag. The cartoon appears to resemble the antisemitic Jewish trope of blood libel — which suggests that Jews use the blood of other groups for religious purposes.
Booth also recently published a political cartoon titled “Full Steam Ahead” showing Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu shoveling skulls into a steam engine — calling Netanyahu the first Israeli prime minister “magnanimous enough to bring every last Palestinian man, woman, and child in on the peace process.”
The Daily Pennsylvanian has not independently verified several of the cartoons alleged to have been made by Booth.
“It is painful to see the suffering and tragic loss of life of noncombatants in Israel and Gaza be fodder for satire,” Jameson wrote.
He highlighted the University's recent efforts to combat antisemitism and hate, hold discussions on current events, and create a safe learning community. Jameson also called on the Penn community to act with greater respect and mutual support while "exploring our differences through civil discourse."
In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Booth said that it is “impossible to have a substantive debate” about the Israel-Hamas war if the State of Israel and its politics continues to be conflated with Judaism.
Booth described it as “unfortunate” that Jameson’s statement gave credibility to the interpretation of his political cartoons made by the Washington Free Beacon.
“Being accused of anti-Semitism by a reporter who presents no corroborating sources beyond her own misreading of my work is neither journalism nor responsible reporting,” said Booth of the Beacon reporter.
Booth added that the political cartoons cited by the Washington Free Beacon were presented separately from the columns they were written for. He said the columns that accompanied them “provided the necessary context upon which the imagery was serving.”
While Booth does not take Jameson’s stance personally, he wrote that he was “saddened” by the way he approached his statement.
"The way he has chosen to go about it attempts to placate the controversy in deference to those attempting to limit free speech, academic freedom, and attack independent journalism in service of an agenda designed to silence debate rather than encourage it,” Booth wrote.
On Feb 3, Booth posted a statement on his Instagram in response to recent scrutiny of his cartoons. He wrote that he considered it the role of an artist to provoke conversation and debate over "important cultural and political realities happening in the real world."
"That said, it is of utmost importance to me that none of you suffer any consequences of these unfortunate slings and arrows and I deeply appreciate the support I've received for the work I do," Booth wrote.
In both 2019 and 2023 — before Booth published the cartoons at the center of the scrutiny — the DP reported on classes taught by Booth. Students described Booth as an engaging and approachable professor — and one who is "very driven by the issues that matter to him.”
“When it comes to satire, and when you’re looking at the history of satire, a lot of it is very inflammatory,” Booth told the DP in 2019.
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