Samsung removes online cartoons mocking Jewish hedge fund founder

(JTA) — A Samsung subsidiary removed online cartoons that showed the Jewish founder of a hedge fund as a vulture with a large beak.

Samsung C&T removed the cartoons on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported, days after the company condemned anti-Semitism in the wake of anti-Semitic expressions in the South Korean media in reporting on the proposed merger between Samsung C&T, a construction company, and Cheil Industries.

The removal of the cartoons attacking Paul Singer, the Jewish founder of New York-based Elliott Associates, came a day before shareholders of Samsung C&T were to vote on the merger, which is opposed by Singer’s fund, the third-largest shareholder in Samsung C&T. Both companies are subsidiaries of the Samsung Group, South Korea’s largest family-controlled conglomerate. The merger is part of a consolidation effort.

Along with depicting Singer as a vulture, the cartoons show him hiding an axe behind his back while taking money from a man in ragged clothes.

The company reportedly asked AP not to publish a story before the shareholders meeting, according to the news service. The cartoons had been displayed on the company’s website for several weeks.

In reporting on the proposed merger, at least two South Korean media outlets blamed Jews for attempting to block the deal. One publication wrote that Jewish power on Wall Street “has long been known to be ruthless and merciless.” A columnist wrote that “Jews are known to wield enormous power on Wall Street and in global financial circles” and “It is a well-known fact that the U.S. government is swayed by Jewish capital.”

In a letter to the Anti-Defamation League earlier this week, both companies condemned anti-Semitism.

“We are a company that is committed to respect for individuals and enforces strict non-discrimination policies,” they wrote. “We condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms.”