Cartoon in The Age and SMH breached standards

The Australian Press Council has found that The Age and Sydney Morning Herald  breached the Council’s Standards of Practice by publishing a cartoon on January 7, 2026 that encoded an antisemitic trope about Jewish people secretly controlling world events.

The cartoon, titled “Grass roots”, depicted a crowd of figures standing on a grass lawn, holding placards, and calling for a “Royal Commission now!”.

Beneath them, holding the lawn up, are various current and former federal politicians, and standing to the right side of them is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, beating a drum accompanied by the words “Boom Boom” — implying they were marching to his beat.

The Council found that the publications breached General Principle 6 of its Standards of Practice by failing to take reasonable steps to avoid causing or contributing materially to substantial offence, distress or prejudice.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Michele Goldman told The AJN, “We welcome the Australian Press Council’s ruling that the publication failed to take reasonable steps to avoid causing substantial offence, distress or prejudice.

“The cartoon not only relied on imagery echoing long-standing antisemitic tropes, it also diminished the broad and genuine support for a Royal Commission – across the board from sports people, political leaders and the legal and medical professions – by implying that Australians calling for an inquiry were being manipulated,” Goldma said.

“The Council has rightly recognised that the cartoon crossed a line and reinforced harmful stereotypes that have fuelled hatred against Jewish people.”

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) also welcomed the finding. “The Press Council’s ruling is an important acknowledgment that there is a clear distinction between legitimate criticism of Israel’s policies  or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and imagery that draws upon longstanding antisemitic tropes, such as portraying Jewish figures as manipulative actors exerting hidden influence,” AIJAC executive director Colin Rubenstein said.

“At a time when antisemitism is at record levels in Australia, especially after the Bondi attack, media organisations have a particular responsibility to ensure they do not perpetuate harmful stereotypes that have historically fuelled both prejudice and violence against Jews.”

In its adjudication, the Council acknowledged that cartoons are entitled to significant latitude as expressions of opinion that routinely employ exaggeration and absurdity.

However, it held that latitude was not unlimited — particularly where imagery could reinforce racial, ethnic or religious stereotypes.

The Council found that the depiction of Netanyahu – who is both Jewish and Israel’s Prime Minister – “encodes the antisemitic trope that Jewish people secretly control or manipulate global events, governments, financial systems, or the media”.

It concluded the imagery was likely to cause substantial offence, distress and prejudice, particularly to Jewish Australians.

While the Council accepted there was a legitimate public interest in commenting on the political motivations of those calling for a Royal Commission, it found that interest was “insufficient to justify the harm caused”.

The Council acknowledged the publications had not intended to cause offence and welcomed their published apologies and commitment to meet with Jewish community leaders.

It’s adjudication concluded by stating, “Apart from finding that the publications failed to take reasonable steps to comply with its Standards of Practice, this matter underscores the importance for all publications of ensuring their editorial processes are sufficiently robust to minimise the unintended risk of causing offence, distress or prejudice.

“The Council also notes that, in the context of heightened community sensitivities concerning antisemitism and social cohesion, the adequacy of editorial processes should be assessed by reference to the sensitivity of the subject matter and the potential impact on affected communities.”

The adjudication was published in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald on June 10, 2026, as required by the Council.

To view the full adjudication, go to: https://presscouncil.org.au/document/1859-1859-complainant