Rupert Murdoch tonight issued a public apology over a “grotesque” Sunday Times cartoon after the newspaper was accused of anti-semitism.

Amid a storm of global condemnation, the 81 year-old media mogul offered the “major apology”, for what he described as an “offensive cartoon” published in one of his major newspapers.

His apology on Twitter came despite the Sunday newspaper launching a staunch defence of the work by leading political cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, 76.

The cartoon, which depicted Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, building a wall using what appeared to be the blood of Palestinians as cement, was published at the weekend, in the first full edition presided over by Martin Ivens, the new acting editor.

Jewish leaders said the cartoon, published on Holocaust Memorial Day with a caption: “Israel Elections: Will cementing peace continue?”, was anti-Semitic.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews complained to the Press Complaints Commission, arguing the cartoon, was “shockingly reminiscent” of pictures used in “the virulently anti-Semitic Arab press”.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/9832877/Rupert-Murdoch-sorry-over-grotesque-Sunday-Times-Israeli-cartoon.html