(JTA) — Puerto Rico’s largest newspaper removed from its website an opinion column that blamed the island’s economic crisis on the Jews who “control” Wall Street and the U.S. government.
The El Nuevo Dia newspaper apologized late last week for publishing the Jan. 8 column by Wilda Rodríguez titled “What does ‘the Jew’ want with the colony?” but never removed it from the website.
Rodriguez also apologized in a statement on the website.
“I deeply regret that my writing is interpreted as anti-Semitic … I apologize to those who in good faith have felt hurt by my political allusion,” she wrote, adding that she “can understand the psychic reaction of some to the mere use of the Jewish word. But the intention is not to provoke offense, but to contribute to public discussion.”
A publisher’s note said the newspaper “apologizes to the Jewish community and to the rest of our audience that has been offended.”
“We assume our responsibility and we want to be totally emphatic in that we do not promote content that can be interpreted as anti-Semitic,” the publisher also said.
The column had said, in part, “For Israelis, recognizing Jewish power over the United States is no offense. It is the victory of their diaspora.” She added: “Jewish itinerary is so loaded with wars and profits that they rarely think about” Puerto Rico.
Earlier this week, the StandWithUs Israel education organization called on the newspaper to remove the column from its website. As of Wednesday, the link for the article was taking readers to a page with an error message.
“We are grateful to the editors for finally deleting it,” StandWithUs CEO and co-founder Roz Rothstein said in a statement. She noted that when the column appeared, there was “an initial backlash from the Jewish community in Puerto Rico that sparked the two very limited apologies.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
