A Palestinian female cartoonist has come under fire for publishing a cartoon that has enraged Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.
The controversial cartoon refers to Hamas efforts to rein in Islamic Jihad’s military wing, Al-Quds Batallions, whose members are believed to behind recent rocket and mortar attacks on Israel.
The cartoon by Majedah Shaheen depicts Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh asking his dog to “calm down.” The dog represents the Al-Quds Battalions.
Following strong condemnations and threats, Shaheen published an apology on her Facebook account.
“I wish to apologize for the cartoon I published about Hamas and the Al-Quds Battalions,” she wrote. “My intention was to relay a message in a clear and firm manner. But there are many who prefer to deal with the issue in an artificial manner instead of making an attempt to understand the idea behind it.”
The apology has failed to calm many Palestinians, who posted abusive comments against her on Facebook, denouncing her has a “Zionist agent,” “traitor” and “prostitute.”