Bob Whitmore's Gaza cartoon triggers debate over local art
The Tampa cartoonist explains why a drawing of a child at the border is political commentary, not antisemitism, despite recent controversy.
By Tomas Rahman ·
Bob Whitmore’s latest political cartoon for WMNF is titled “Numbers game.”
The weekly artwork continues a streak that has drawn national attention this year. In 2025, a Cartoonist for Creative Loafing lost his position following public criticism of a piece depicting a starving child in Gaza. Whitmore, who produces similar work for the Tampa Bay community, weighed in on that incident recently.
Whitmore described the specific image that sparked the debate. The drawing showed a small child standing against a wall in Gaza. Barbed wire ran across the top of the barrier. An Israeli flag fluttered in the distance. The caption read “Wailing wall.” The child in the image cried out, “Please give me food.”
While the image appeared to be a statement on the famine and war in Gaza, the corporate parent of Creative Loafing labeled it antisemitic. Whitmore argues that view confuses political dissent with religious bias. “Dissent against Israel’s actions in Gaza should not be considered antisemitism,” he told WMNF.
Whitmore remains active in local media. He created a design for a WMNF t-shirt and poster. He also produced a lively illustration for the 2026 Spring Fund Drive, which runs from February 18 to 25. That piece features station volunteers, staff, and programmers from the past and present.
Source: WMNF
