The Press Ombudsman has not upheld a complaint that a cartoon published in April 2025 in The Irish Times breached Principle 1 (Truth and Accuracy), Principle 4 (Respect for Rights) and Principle 8 (Prejudice).
The cartoon, published on Good Friday, includes an image of a Christian church, an apparent reference to Jesus Christ as “a dead Palestinian”, a man whose thoughts are depicted using a slang word for Jesus, a news headline about ongoing killings in Gaza and a reference to “50,000 dead”. Further captions raise questions about what constitutes blasphemy.
The complainants described themselves as Christians to whom “our Lord Jesus Christ…is our best friend, our Lord and our Saviour”. They said Principle 1 was breached because “Jesus was not a Palestinian” and Palestine had not existed at the time of his birth. They said the publication had relied on inaccurate figures emanating from Hamas for those killed in Gaza.
They said Principle 4 was breached because of the need to check facts, with reference to the matters cited in their complaint under Principle 1.
They said Principle 8 was breached because the cartoon was “likely to cause grave offence or stir up hatred against an individual or group based on…religion.” They said on Good Friday the publication had mocked and affronted Christianity by calling Jesus a Palestinian, by saying that he was dead, and by using a slang version of his name. They said the cartoon caused them grave offence. They sought an apology.
On Principle 1, the publication referred in its response to the Press Ombudsman’s decision not to uphold a similar complaint, in which she said cartoons were “by their nature provocations”. The publication said the reality was that cartoonists had artistic licence to make satirical points and in any case the term Palestine was in use before the birth of Christ.
The publication cited a news report it had published on the same day as the cartoon appeared in which similar numbers were given for those who up to that date had been killed during the Israeli offensive in Gaza. The report was from an international news agency which supplies news to the publication.
On Principle 4, the publication said there was no knowing publication of “matters based on malicious misrepresentation or unfounded accusations” and the commentary in the cartoon was based on fact.
On Principle 8, the publication again cited a previous decision by the Press Ombudsman in which she found that the use of the name of Jesus as an expletive was commonplace including among Christians. It further quoted her statement that while a cartoon might provoke, publications had a right to provoke their readers. It said that there was no intention to cause grave offence or stir up hatred, in breach of Principle 8 of the Code. The publication offered to engage with the complainants over the phone to discuss the matter with them.
Decision
Cartoons are primarily visual and where there are words, as in this case, they tend to be few in number but to have been chosen to make a considerable impact. The Press Ombudsman accepts the publication’s assertion regarding artistic licence, and finds that it is not significantly inaccurate for it to have described Christ as a Palestinian given the geo-political changes in the region across history. She finds that the publication shows that the figures used in the cartoon are regarded as factual by a reputable international news agency which is a trusted source used by the publication. There is no breach of Principle 1.
There is no indication that the publication knowingly published “matter based on malicious misrepresentation or unfounded accusations”, and as stated above, the Press Ombudsman finds that the commentary in the cartoon was based on fact. There is no breach of Principle 4.
As stated in the earlier decision cited by the publication, the Press Ombudsman notes that cartoons are by nature provocations. This cartoon uses words and images in startling juxtaposition to provoke debate about a disturbing contemporary situation. Its publication on Good Friday when Christians deeply contemplate their religious faith and beliefs was clearly intended to draw particular attention to it. She reiterates that among those who use slang words for Jesus are many Christians.
The cartoon includes reference to believers and non-believers, to the crucifixion, to blasphemy, and to mass murder. The Press Ombudsman recognises that the complainants were personally very offended, but she is not persuaded by them that anything in the cartoon crosses the threshold envisaged under Principle 8 of the Code of Practice. She does not find that it is likely or intended to cause grave offence or stir up hatred. There is no breach of Principle 8.
The decision was appealed to the Press Council of Ireland.