Cartooning from the right

Israel’s Religious Zionist cartoonists and the judicial overhaul

Bibliographic Data

ID12709133
AuthorsMatt Reingold (0000-0003-1723-9969, Jewish History, TanenbaumCHAT, Toronto, Canada, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume23
Issue3-4
Pages1-23
Publication date2023-08-08
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Modern Jewish Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1472-5886 • E-ISSN: 1472-5894
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14725886.2023.2242300
OpenAlexW4385659467
LanguageEN
References cited9

Political cartoons are valuable cultural artifacts which not only capture moments in time but also offer the illustrator's insight into those moments. This essay examines how three of Israel's Religious Zionist cartoonists have illustrated the first three months of the 2023 nationwide protests and the judicial overhaul that sparked them. Shay Charka, Or Reichert, and Reut Bortz all self-identify as members of the Religious Zionist community but their cartoons show diverse reactions to the protests and proposed legislation. Examining their works provides insight into how the cartoonists themselves are navigating significant changes in their own society and also what messages are being conveyed to the Religious-Zionist readership. What emerges from this analysis are thematic overlaps in which the artists draw upon common visual tropes and themes but offer distinct readings of the judicial overhaul and the protests that ensued. The value of analyzing the three cartoonists' work in this way is that it provides insight into the messages that are disseminated to the wider Religious Zionist community given their role as figures who shape and construct Religious Zionist ideology and mentality.KEYWORDS: Political cartoonsreligious-nationalistIsraelReligious Zionismjudicial reformprotests Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 Religious Zionist can refer to both a segment of Israel's population and the name of a political party. To minimize confusion, Religious Zionist and Religious Zionism will connote the group and its members and Religious Zionist Party will connote the political party.2 Shafir, "Supreme Court President Hayut."3 Barak, "Operation 'Price Tag Light' Against the Makor Rishon Newspaper."4 El Refaie, "Understanding Visual Metaphor."5 Believing that the right are the guardians of the state and are the only ones suitable to govern it are pillars of contemporary right-wing nationalism. Zúquete, "The New Frontlines of Right-Wing Nationalism," 69.6 Reingold, Reenvisioning Israel through Political Cartoons.7 Katz, "The De-Politicization of Israeli Political Cartoons."8 Reingold, Reenvisioning Israel through Political Cartoons.9 Haynes, "Right-Wing Nationalism, Populism, and Religion," 189.10 Ibid.11 Hammett, "Political Cartoons, Post-Colonialism and Critical African Studies," 5.12 Zúquete, "The New Frontlines of Right-Wing Nationalism," 80–1.13 Bortz, "The is the Cartoon I Made ... ."14 Bortz often posts prose reflections alongside her cartoons.15 Morris, Carnivalization of Politics, 200.16 "Founder of Group Behind Handmaid Protests".17 Haynes, "Right-Wing Nationalism, Populism, and Religion," 189.18 Reingold, Reenvisioning Israel through Political Cartoons.19 Rosenberg-Friedman, "Religious-Zionism and Gender," 160.20 Cited in Henson, "Mocking the 'Messiah'," 162.Additional informationNotes on contributorsMatt ReingoldMatt Reingold teaches Jewish History and Jewish Philosophy at TanenbaumCHAT in Toronto. He publishes widely about Jewish and Israeli graphic narratives and political cartoons

Ideology · Political science · Politics · Population · Sociology · Zionism · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Law · Law in Society and Culture · Public Spaces through Art

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