Antonio Antunes, a syndicated cartoonist with  The New York Times , had his contract terminated yesterday following condemnation from Jewish groups,  CNN  reported.

A political illustrator for more than 45 years, Artunes insisted his dismissal was due to "the international Jewish propaganda machine."

Artunes continued, "Anytime there's criticism, it's because there's someone anti-Semitic on the other side.  That's not the case (here).

"The Jewish right doesn't want to be criticized, and they say, 'We are a persecuted people.  We suffered a lot.  This is anti-Semitism.'"

International editions of  The New York Times  initially published Antunes' cartoon, April 25. 

It pictured United States President Donald Trump as a blind man, wearing a yarmulke, led by a dachshund whose face resembled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Since Trump's election in November, 2016, American taxpayers have lavished Israel with $12.6 billion in unrestricted foreign aid, and broad military assistance.

Trump also made the controversial decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, recognized it as Israel's capitol, and then endorsed the Golan Heights as a new sovereignty of the Jewish State.

Anti-Defamation CEO Jonathan Greenblatt likened Antunes' cartoon to propaganda of the German Third Reich.

Observers suggested the newspaper's decision came only after protests outside its Manhattan headquarters led by famed OJ Simpson attorney, and new Harvey Weinstein representative, Alan Dershowitz.

Antunes maintained the cartoon was a fair criticism of the Trump administration's overwhelming pro-Israel stance relative to  Palestinian issues.

Jewish publisher AG Sulzberger apologized for the illustration, and blamed the decision on Opinion Editor James Bennet.

In a statement, Sulzberger wrote, "This imagery is always dangerous, and has grown more so at this moment when anti-Semitism is on the rise around the world."