Of all the memes circulating in the weeks since the October 7 massacre in Israel, the most startling one was sent to me by A., an attorney in the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office. The cartoon, which A. came across in the Instagram feed of a deputy attorney at a neighboring office, depicts a group of black-clad soldiers, perched on the rim of a barrel-shaped structure, aiming into the opening below. A Palestinian flag and a ball of fire rise from the center of the barrel, while a pool of blood seeps from its base. The word “GAZA” looms in the background in all caps, but it’s the symbol adorning the cylinder that is most eye-catching: a Star of David interlaced with a swastika.
“She actually posted a swastika with a Jewish star,” says A., who asked to remain anonymous for fear of professional retribution.
