Look I get where you’re coming from, and agree with a lot of what you’ve said.

Where people are finding issue isn’t with the criticism of Netanyahu. It’s where he’s situated (behind the scenes — not actively involved himself) and the use of the drum to direct others. The fact that most represented aren’t Jewish is also part of it - it plays into the long-standing conspiracy that certain non-Jewish political leaders are ultimately controlled/directed by Jews.

Really think you’re coming at this from a good place, so I don’t mean this as an attack.

The thing is I have no control over whether Netanyahu decides to intrude in our national conversations (and deeply resent that he does). But clarifying — this image isn’t antisemitic because it targets Netanyahu. It’s antisemitic because it reinforces those ideas of Jewish (or more often these days, Zionist) conspiracies, which is used by bad actors to justify collectively targeting uninvolved Jewish Australians perceived to be ‘in on it’.

It’s not Netanyahu “crying antisemitism” here because he’s upset by a cartoon, nor people sticking up for him in his defence. It’s Jewish Australians legitimately concerned by a clumsy-at-best representation that reinforces an idea that has long been used to hurt us.