Student guild apologises over ‘anti-Semitic’ front page
A satirical student newspaper that was described by prominent members of Anthony Albanese’s government as ‘funny’ has apologised for a front-page cartoon that Jewish leaders said perpetuated anti-Semitic tropes.
A satirical student newspaper that was described by prominent members of Anthony Albanese’s government as “funny” and “hysterical” has apologised for a front-page cartoon that Jewish leaders said perpetuated anti-Semitic tropes.
The University of Western Australia Student Guild’s annual Prosh newspaper, which has long had a reputation for crude undergraduate humour, published on its front page a cartoon of Elon Musk bending Donald Trump over a desk while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – depicted with glowing red eyes – watches on. The cartoon is headlined, “Lobbied up the a$$”.
The latest release of the paper was featured on the social media pages of federal Labor MPs Patrick Gorman – the minister assisting the Prime Minister and whose electorate of Perth takes in the orthodox Jewish Carmel School and the Holocaust Institute of WA – and President of the Senate Sue Lines. Mr Gorman captioned a photograph of him and the paper with “Sometimes funny. Always for charity” while Senator Lines posted a photograph of her and several Prosh vendors in which she described the newspaper as “hysterical”.
But the Student Guild late on Wednesday issued an apology over the cartoon, saying it strongly opposed any degree of racism, intolerance and anti-Semitism.
“The cover illustration was intended as a satirical political caricature reflecting current American geopolitical issues, rather than a targeted commentary on any specific community,” guild president Nikhita Talluri said in a statement. “We regret that it has been interpreted otherwise and acknowledge the discomfort it may have caused.”
She noted that the newspaper had been reviewed by defamation lawyers and various guild departments including those representing diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, while several Jewish students had been part of the editorial process.
“Nevertheless, we recognise that some readers found elements of the cover objectionable. We apologise to those who felt uncomfortable or offended,” she said.
One Jewish student from UWA, who did not want to be named, described the front page as “deeply unsettling”.
She said Jewish students already felt threatened and excluded at university campuses.
“By painting it in a satirical nature, it creates an environment where anti-Semitism is tolerated, if not encouraged,” she said.
“As a Jewish student at UWA, this makes me deeply concerned about what comes next if this behaviour continues to be normalised.”
Alex Ryvchin, the co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the front page featured multiple anti-Semitic tropes.
“It depicts the Prime Minister of the Jewish state as some hypnotic, demonic force. It plays on the theme of Jews and money and of Jews exercising undue power and controlling governments,” he said.
“What is most concerning is that it was allowed to be distributed throughout the city without the illustrator, editor, publisher or university seeing anything wrong with it.
“Even two federal politicians who have had some engagement with the Jewish community and the issue of anti-Semitism didn’t think it was problematic.”
Prosh has been published annually by the UWA Student Guild since 1931, with all proceeds from the paper distributed to charity.
This year’s beneficiaries were The Essentials Collective, which distributes basic toiletries and other essential items to people in need, and men’s mental health and wellbeing charity Man Up WA.
A spokeswoman for Mr Gorman noted he had for many years been a supporter of the newspaper’s fundraising efforts.
“The Member for Perth has long supported this student-led satirical paper because all funds go to charity,” she said.
“That in no way means he supports every word or image within the pages of this publication.”
A spokeswoman for UWA said any views expressed in Prosh did not represent those of the university.
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