Antisemitic, blood libel drawings exhibited at Royal Academy have not been removed, claims UKFLI - Mathilda Heller

 

by Mathilda Heller

The two artworks in question were created by Michael Sandle, and depict the supposed mass murder of Gazan children.

 

The two artworks in question were created by Michael Sandle, and depict the supposed mass murder of Gazan children. Notably, Sandle exhibited an artwork on the same theme in the Summer Exhbition 2024, and received criticism at the time.

(photo credit: screenshot/royal academy/michael sandle)

 

The Royal Academy (RA) has ignored requests to remove two ‘antisemitic’ drawings from its Summer Exhibition, UK Lawyers for Israel (UKFLI) reported.

The two artworks in question were created by Michael Sandle and depict the supposed mass murder of Gazan children. Notably, Sandle exhibited an artwork on the same theme in the Summer Exhibition 2024 and received criticism at the time.

The first of the two 2025 pieces is called Terrorist versus smiling mass murderer of innocents, depicts two figures – a Hamas terrorist and an IDF soldier – standing in front of a pile of rubble. The IDF soldier is smiling and covering his ears with his hands, while the terrorist’s face is covered, and he is turned away from the scene.

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The second artwork is called Apropos terror – a pilot doesn’t hear the screams of the women and children he is massacring with impunity. It is identical in many ways to the other, featuring the same two figures in the same clothing, although the background is a semi-collapsed building.

This time, the soldier is not smiling. However, like the first one, he has his hands covering his ears, which the artist has depicted as a way of symbolizing the IDF’s choice to turn away from Gazans suffering. UKFLI’s Caroline Turner wrote to RA interim secretary and chief executive, Natasha Mitchell, calling for them to be removed, and to executive Simon Wallis, explaining that the two drawings are antisemitic and present a blood libel.

The two artworks in question were created by Michael Sandle, and depict the supposed mass murder of Gazan children. Notably, Sandle exhibited an artwork on the same theme in the Summer Exhbition 2024, and received criticism at the time. (credit: screenshot/royal academy/michael sandle)

“The titles of both these drawings imply that Israel is purposely slaughtering women and children on a mass scale. This is far from the truth, since the Israeli army does all it can to avoid harming women and children while targeting

“Accusing Jews of killing babies/children is an old-fashioned blood libel. Sandle should be aware that Israel aims to kill terrorists, not innocent children and others.” The images “apply double standards by requiring of Israel a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation,” which can be antisemitic according to example 8 of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism, the organization added.

Double standards

A spokesperson for UKLFI added, “The Royal Academy has shamefully ignored the views of its Jewish and Israeli visitors, and once more displayed antisemitic, anti-Israel artworks. We hope that they will now remove these offensive items.”

One Jewish visitor called the works “disgusting antisemitic art,” according to The Telegraph. As noted, in 2024, UKFLI reached out to RA regarding Sandle’s drawing, The mass slaughter of defenseless women & children is not how you deradicalize Gaza.

Then-chief executive, Axel Ruger, did not remove the drawing but did take down two other antisemitic works by young artists.

“We are, however, grateful for the clarifications you have provided and intend to continue to take these into account in the future, along with any concerns raised by other visitors of diverse backgrounds when reviewing our policies,” Ruger told UKFLI at the time.

On its website, the RA says its Summer Exhibition “contains sensitive content covering political and societal issues.”

“Inclusion of works in the Summer Exhibition should not be read as the RA supporting any particular artist’s point of view,” it adds.

Mathilda Heller

Source: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-862378

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