It was a mistake, an oversight. So sorry! Lately, a number of institutions and companies have found themselves saying "Oops!" after making anti-Jewish or anti-Israel slips. While it's welcome when organizations admit errors, anti-Jewish statements and images can have lasting effects – and raise questions about how they happened in the first place.
Here are some recent examples of supposedly smart organizations that made surprisingly dumb mistakes where Jews and Israel are concerned, and the concerned citizens who called out their mistakes and demanded accountability.
WGN-TV News in Chicago called it an "oversight" when the image accompanying a September 28 story about Yom Kippur on the evening news showed what someone at the station apparently considered a standard stock Jewish symbol, suitable for airing on the evening news: a yellow Nazi star with the word "Jude" on it sewn onto a concentration camp prison uniform.
While thousands of people watching absorbed the message that an offensive Holocaust-era symbol represents Jews today, some alert viewers took the time to notify the station that the illustration was offensive – and ask how such an outrageous visual could have been aired. WGN apologized, assuring viewers they are "reviewing (their) in-house policies" to ensure a similar error never happens again. Left unexplained was how a news worker could have ever made such an outrageous "mistake" in the first place.
Just a few weeks earlier, London's Imperial War Museum explained it was an "accident" when their website mislabeled Jewish veterans of World War II “terrorists". An online photo of members of the Jewish Brigade – a British army division made up of Jews from modern-day Israel who fought Nazi forces with distinction in Italy in 1944 – was accompanied by the caption "Terrorist activities: Men of the First Battalion Jewish Brigade during a march past". A further description mischaracterized Israel's army as illegal, pointing out many of the soldiers "went on to join the Haganah and other illegal formations". (The Haganah was the nascent defense force of the Jewish State and went on to become the Israeli Defense Forces.)
It was only after the Simon Wiesenthal Center wrote to the museum, pointing out that far from being "terrorists", Jews who fought Nazis as part of the British Army were in fact heroes that the museum apologized and promised to "review" procedures to make sure such a "mistake" doesn't happen again.
British Jews called out the BBC in September, 2015, after it bizarrely chose to illustrate its official Proms Concert Program with a crude, Nazi-like caricature of the 19th Century Jewish violinist Leopold Auer, featuring an enlarged head and grotesquely hooked nose. "It is an anti-Semitic cartoon and it is completely out of context" Nigel Goldberg, a violin teacher one complainants who contacted the BBC, explained, "Anyone I've shown it to, Jewish or not, has been stunned". The BBC apologized, claiming it never meant to offend with the anti-Semetic image, but left unanswered the question of how anyone could possibly have approved such an outrageous image for publication.
With programs for the prestigious concert series already distributed, the damage had already been done, with thousands viewing the program and its anti-Jewish imagery – absorbing the implicit message that the picture was acceptable.
That same month, DNB, Norway's largest financial services company, issued a personalized credit card decorated with a Nazi-like cartoon of a hook-nosed Jews laughing in front of piles of gold coins. Only after the Israel-based Hallelu Foundation, which combats negative depictions of Jews and the Jewish state, queried how such a shockingly offensive card could ever be issued, DNB blandly blamed a "failure" of its internal "controls" and issued an apology. No mention was made of how such an inappropriate image could ever have been included in its collection of stock credit card templates in the first place.
Terrible mistakes do happen, but sometimes there is a simpler explanation behind the anti-Jewish sentiment: blatant anti-Semitism.
(20) Deborah, August 24, 2016 3:09 AM
Baloney Excuses for "Mistakes"
In what universe could any of this have been approved for public consumption? I'm losing faith in society.
(19) John Smith, October 8, 2015 10:56 PM
Things will never get better if American Jews continue to vote for the pro slavery anti Semitic Democrat Party.
(18) Aviel, October 8, 2015 10:00 AM
Price of Exile
Fighting antisemetic stereotypes seems noble but it seems to me as long as masses of Jews prefer to live as guests in other lands rather than come home to Israel and assert their right to the land Gd promised it will continue to be a problem. The Almighty reminds Jews and others where Jews belong.
Lea, October 9, 2015 12:54 AM
Amen!
I do not understand why Jewish people do not want to go to Israel. I was blessed to live in Jerusalem for two years. I finally had to leave, as I am not Jewish. I loved it and would have stayed my whole life if I could have.
(17) Mary, October 7, 2015 5:05 PM
How?
After seeing it in the news and in history books; how could anyone mistake the meaning of this symbol?
Anna, October 8, 2015 5:16 AM
Maybe if people are stupid enough....
(16) michael, October 7, 2015 12:25 PM
Disgusted with this world
That is ridiculous that people would air such material. The Israelite army is one of the top in the world and is actually shocking that those things could have "accidently happened. Israel is a force any country should want on their side. The Nazi things are just sick and the individuals who were responsible for putting that on the air should be fired if the company itself was truly apologetic. I understand a corporation may not have direct exact control over everything do to trusting some employees but consequences should exist for the individual who put that sickening garbage on the media.
(15) aj, October 7, 2015 10:33 AM
Erronneous? "WHO ME?!"
True that some are deliberate, but some are misinformed about history. Youth are given teachings that keep lies alive,and we are more sensitive to certain depictions that mean little to others. And,if an education left out certain facts, knowing the diffference might not come easy. And, Maybe we can help by careful voice. We all could be careful.
(14) Avigail, October 7, 2015 7:51 AM
It makes no sense that philanthropic Judaism is bashed while Muslim murderous ideology is rewarded. It is no mistake that anti-semitic lies infiltrate every level of society through the conjoined ideologies of Naziism and Islamism...supremacy at the cost of genocide. Pure Evil.
(13) Sharona, October 7, 2015 7:24 AM
Anit-Semitism isn't a no-no
The reason that these images get "mistakenly" shown is that the people working for these companies don't even realize that they're negative. In their misconstrued thinking, of course a yellow Jewish star with the word Jude on it represents the Jews. Anti-semitism is so engrained, and has become acceptable, politicaly and socially. People don't even realize that they are being ANTI.
It's scary.
Kathleen Ann Dahnke Nottestad, October 7, 2015 7:17 PM
Seeking truth easier said than done.
Your right - correct. I think there are many who are misinformed. I live in the USA and my Grandaughter had marked wrong on her test - she answered that The Civil War was fought to free slaves. her teacher marked it incorrect. LUCKEY her parents had taught her correctly but how many others were taught incorrectly by their teacher - but had their paper marked with a star. The Civil War was fought because of Slavery - freeing the slaves to be
exact. That's how it starts! Misinformed individuals - I never learned in school about the Holocaust - I see that as also being problematic. So knowing what symbols are antisymatic - I wish I knew but truth is I and many others I'm sure don't - but I agree many of these so called mistakes are NOT mistakes but others with a completely different agenda, spewing their hatred unbeknownst to many - but those in places who need to know need to be constantly learning and if they allow things that are not proper to be used - the buck needs to stop with them - and consequences should follow. I read opposite views on the same subject and then need to search for what is truth. What is written does NOT always mean you are viewing truth. - Sad but true. those knowing the truth need to be willing to share the truth with
those seeking truth. This is harder than one would imagine. plus, if the person teaching puts their agenda ahead of truth it's a real problem. I think it's unbelievable how the media can break or make any subject matter. the world seems to be off it's axes - how did Wisconsin ever elect more than once a man who literally cannot open his mouth without lies flowing out! How - bad media coverage - that's how - so yes the media is powerful and lack of truth in our media: tv, magazines, papers, radio - our state is stuck with going down hill @ high speed. Why? Lack of correct coverage of a person whose agenda has set us back decades. The lack of good journalism is a Sad State of Affairs for Israel too.
Canuck, October 10, 2015 10:23 AM
Your granddaughter's incompetent teacher should be fired.
But she's probably having an affair with the principal, so her job is secure. Seriously. I've been in education for 50 years & that's how things work in that noble profession.
Anonymous, October 8, 2015 5:22 AM
I knew an Englishwoman who would use Jewish as a casual insult meaning that someone was mean and not very scrupulous....my saying that I was Jewish just washed over her. I couldn't understand how an otherwise nice and decent person could be so obtuse. She had no idea that she was being offensive, but how anyone could say these things and not think that she might be insulting anyone who happened to be one of the group whose name she was using as a casual insult is beyond me. It was almost worse than someone being hostile, as it was so engrained in her mind that it barely registered that she was saying it.
(12) Ephraim, October 7, 2015 5:24 AM
Mistake?
How could anyone make such mistakes? It is totally non credible. It IS antisemitism, blatant and bald. I shudder to think of what the reaction would be to show a caricature of a Black man or woman, from the KKK south, in similar circumstances? Of course, it would never happen.
To the Jew hating world, antisemitism is the ACCEPTABLE bigotry. Why? There is the question.
(11) Canuck, October 7, 2015 4:23 AM
Freud was correct about at least one thing.
Although Sigmund Freud was wrong in many of his theories, he was spot-on on one point. In verbal interaction there is no such thing as an error or an accident. All communication is intentional, at either the conscious (usually) or the subconscious level. Neither the Chicago TV station, nor the British war museum, nor the BBC, nor the Norwegian financial co. ever made an error. They knew what they were doing, & pre-planned their flat, empty explanations.
(10) Anonymous, October 7, 2015 3:21 AM
Use words and actions wisely,....
Any person or entity, which is exposed to public opinion, is like being in the eye of a hurricane,... what they say and do can be the center of destruction....or peace.
(9) gail, October 7, 2015 2:43 AM
anti-semitism
The anti-semitism mistakes are not mistakes. It is blatent anti-semitism. The people responsible should all be fired. WGN-TV news station has no Jewish person working on that network? Can they honestly admit that everyone who works at that station is a moron? London's War Museum saying Jewish soldiers were terrorists makes me wonder how these people helped win the war if they can't get their facts correct. The head of the London's War Museum needs to be fired. Hmm, I wonder what would happen if the same mistakes were made the other way.
(8) Regina, October 7, 2015 1:29 AM
No mistakes at all
Thank you for bringing these numerous incidents to more widespread attention. Anti-Jewish sentiment is in vogue, only to grow increasingly popular unless we remain vigilant in calling the perpetrators out. College campuses have also become a hotbed for outright Jew hatred - it is incumbent upon all of us to respond forcefully in every possible instance.
AM YISROEL CHAI.
(7) Michael, October 7, 2015 1:26 AM
Arrogance and ignorance
Having worked in the media for 30 years I modestly claim some knowledge of errors, over sites, and truth tellers.
Yes of course we can all recall innocent errors of judgement or
eronius decision vis-a-vis what is deemed ok ?
That said, the blatant arrogance of any media person who has little or zero knowledge of any specific religion or culture to which he or she wishes to refer, should first do some research on whatever he or she intends to either display images or use wording which may cause unnecessary offence ? Failing to do so
is simply arrogant and blatantly ignorant ! That said (albeit I do not condone the ignorant journalist or reporter) I have personally experienced distorted facts in print and outrageous lies all in the name of sensationalism which leads to additional sales for greedy news people. Some of the nicest readers would gladly
display violence for cartoons of their faithful and so now cowardly jornos running scared resort to folk who will not lower themselves to such heinous acts and those ' nicer ' folk can be targeted for lies or arrogant images etc. Michael
(6) Anonymous, October 7, 2015 1:21 AM
It Will Always Be Like This
Or, in Yiddish: A Goy bleibt a Goy. Cats spray. Dogs bark. Goyim hate Jews. That's the way it is.
(5) Hope Wozniak, October 7, 2015 1:20 AM
I am a Christian and I think that these so called " mistakes" in the news media are outrageous. You are right....a split second seeing something like this can do much damage.
(4) Anonymous, October 7, 2015 1:12 AM
Good lessons for us, too
Reading this, I could not help but think of all the articles and comments on Aish.com that similarly -- and just as unfairly and wrongly -- demonize Muslims and Arabs. We Jews would do well to purge our ranks of such biased behavior before we complain about it when it's directed against us.
Dvirah, October 7, 2015 5:57 PM
Give an Example
What article "demonized" Muslims or Arabs? Quoting their own hate-filled comments or detailing horrible thiings they've actually done is not "demonizing". Aish also regularly presents articles praising Muslems or Arabs who are wise enough and brave enough to speak out against blind hatred. This looks like another attempt to equate two very disparate sides.
(3) Anonymous, October 7, 2015 12:43 AM
Guilty as charged. . .
In my opinion, having heard the Chicago station's explanation in the first example, it was a matter of blatant ignorance, not anti-Semitism. In the final three examples, however, the systemically anti-Semitic British and Norwegians are guilty as charged.
(2) David Levine, October 7, 2015 12:21 AM
Media Stupidity
Let us, for the sake of argument, give these morons of the media the benefit of the doubt. When we do so we hare left with the conclusion that today's media is populated by the biggest bunch of morons that walk the earth. Not to give them the benefit of the doubt is to conclude that they are a malevolent bunch. Either way we must remember that it's through them that the public gets its information about political issues. Ever wonder why there are so many "low information voters"? Look at them!
(1) Mike, October 6, 2015 11:41 AM
same with Nike
The company "Nike" produced a video (written about also on Aish http://www.aish.com/ci/a/Is-this-Nike-Video-Anti-Semitic.html ) where an association was made between a group of evil people who want to rule and subjugate the world their symbol that resembles the star of David.
I have since then not worn any clothing made by Nike because. (of course I didn't buy anything either)
I do use my sports clothing made by Nike (synthetics) as towel for drying my hands on Shabbat.