A Palestinian cartoonist previously accused of producing antisemitic imagery is being flown to the UK at taxpayers' expense to curate an art exhibition, the Jewish Chronicle has revealed.
Mohammad Sabaaneh, known for past works that include depictions of a Jew nailing Christ to the cross and Israel as a tentacled monster controlling the world, is set to oversee an exhibition at The Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF). Sabaaneh has stated that he intends to use the platform to "dismantle Israeli propaganda."
The Jewish Chronicle has also uncovered that when concerns were raised about Sabaaneh’s involvement with senior figures at the British Council — the main sponsor of the exhibition — they acknowledged “strong personal feelings about Gaza and Israel” within the organization. British Council chief executive Scott McDonald admitted that, although the organization was undergoing “an internal programme of antisemitism training,” there was uncertainty about how effective these efforts had been.
Despite the controversy, the British Council remains committed to supporting Sabaaneh’s visit for this year's show, Enter the Mulberry Tree and Fly Free, which will feature the works of 11 other Palestinian artists. The exhibition is scheduled to take place in Cumbria from September 26 to 30.
