Comments from Three Countries

This cartoon, seen in the New York Times, is a black-and-white collection of three separate political cartoons, all under a header reading “Comments from three countries on the dispute between Britain and Israel.” The far-left cartoon shows the well-known British figure, John Bull, representing the British government, trying hard to stay on an erratic camel with the word 'Arabs' on its side. Underneath that is the word Palestine written in what looks to be sand, and a city on fire due to bombs in the background. Finally, in the lower right corner, a man resembling Uncle Sam with his hand over his face, presents a sense of confusion, shame, and embarrassment while watching the scene unfold. At the bottom of the title reads, “Some people have the queerest pets.” This cartoon is from Detroit. Moving to the middle cartoon, a gentleman on the right clearly resembles British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin in a Pharaoh outfit. On the left, Cleopatra is sitting on a throne with Egyptian hieroglyphics behind her, and she is holding out a piece of paper with the words “Treaty Obligations” written on it. There is a caption in big letters at the bottom that reads, “Ernie and Cleopatra”. The title at the bottom reads, “O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt?” This cartoon comes out of London. Finally, the last cartoon, on the far left, depicts British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin on a lifting platform in the middle, he is overhead squatting a barbell with two boxes of papers on each end. On the left box, the words read “Violation of Pledges,” and on the right, “Failing to Keep One's Work.” There are two observers in each bottom corner, with the one on the left labeled “King Abdullah,” depicted in Arab attire, and Uncle Sam in the bottom right, in a suit and top hat. The title reads, “Palestine records of Mr. Bevin,” and this cartoon is out of Moscow.

This political cartoon from the New York Times, published in 1949, helps paint a picture of the international interpretation of the Arab Israeli conflict, the 1948 war, and its aftermath. All three illustrations highlight some aspect of the conflict as a British mishap. The first artifact (Detroit) would be how John Bull is illustrated in the left cartoon and how he struggles to stay steady on the unruly animal. This gives way to the international feeling that the British have lost control of not only the Palestinians but of the region itself. Moreover, the word Palestine being written in the sand sheds light on how the Palestinians and the Arab League felt about the treaties and agreements made with the British. If something is written in the sand, it either won't last or it was a fabricated agreement.

The second important aspect of this artifact is highlighted in the middle cartoon (London), where the British government is portrayed as a Pharaoh. The title being “Ernie and Cleopatra” and the caption being “O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt” are both nods to the William Shakespeare play Antony and Cleopatra. The play follows the Roman General Mark Antony, who is torn between his duties for his country and the love he has for Cleopatra. As the cartoon shows British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin in uniform, it highlights the British public's feelings towards its government at the time. Moreover, there is a satirical notion that the government cares more about Middle East concerns than issues going on in the homeland.    

ExhibitThe final interesting aspect of the overall cartoon is within the far right (Moscow) illustration. The illustrator drew King Abdullah so small and, in the corner, as to say that he is not a major figure in the reshaping of the policy being proposed. Moreover, the aspect of Ernie holding a barbell over his head with “Violation of Pledges” and “Failing to Keep One's Work” on each side gives more visibility to how the Soviets felt about Britain. They have built their strength and influence on the proposals of many different forms. In the long run, this cartoon’s central theme is that this conflict is not just a regional issue but a global political issue shaped by polarizing narratives and propaganda.