Upon being challenged over the anti-Semitic cartoon, Falk first strongly denied its existence, later pulling the cartoon from his website but questioning whether it was anti-Semitic. Ultimately, he apologized, offering that he only intended to highlight the “anti-American” message of the drawing.

“The image in the cartoon chosen for promotion by Richard Falk expresses a vile and vitriolic anti-Semitic, anti-Israel and anti-American message,” B’nai B’rith International President Allan J. Jacobs said. “Sadly, however, it only reflects commonplace incitement in the Middle East against Israel – incitement that fundamentally violates international agreements and prevents progress toward peace in the region.”

Falk’s blog posting is the latest in a long and disturbing trend of radical anti-Israel and other positions Falk has demonstrated in both personal and professional contexts. He has suggested flirtation with 9/11 conspiracy theories, advocated anti-Israel agitation over peace talks, and used the terms “apartheid” and “ethnic cleansing” to describe Israeli policies. Indeed, in his blog entry of June 16, he equated Syria’s domestic massacre of citizens with Israel’s response to mass, violent attempts to overrun its borders, and he cited both Nazi death camps and Israeli efforts to curb terrorism emanating from Gaza as examples of the “coldness” of state governments.

“Falk’s perverse, distorted worldview remains on open display,” B’nai B’rith International Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin said. “His radicalism prevents him from credibly filling his U.N. role, and it further discredits the Human Rights Council itself. Falk must finally, and immediately, be removed from his position as rapporteur before he does further damage while holding this U.N. mandate.”