"Last week, my employers told me they'll be ending in-house political cartoons as well by July," Chappatte wrote. "I’m putting down my pen, with a sigh: that’s a lot of years of work undone by a single cartoon - not even mine - that should never have run in the best newspaper of the world."

"I’m afraid this is not just about cartoons, but about journalism and opinion in general," he continued. "We are in a world where moralistic mobs gather on social media and rise like a storm, falling upon newsrooms in an overwhelming blow. "

Bennet acknowledged Chappatte's efforts, saying that the newspaper was "very grateful" for the work he and cartoonist Heng Kim Song had done. He also noted that the newspaper planned to collaborate with Chappatte and Heng on future projects.

He did not address Chappatte's remarks about the controversial cartoon.

The Times faced intense criticism earlier this year after publishing a cartoon featuring Trump wearing a yarmulke and dark glasses walking Netanyahu, who was portrayed as a guide dog on a leash with a Star of David hanging from his collar. The Times formally apologized and disciplined the editor who was responsible for the cartoon being published. The organization also said that it would stop running syndicated cartoons created by artists who were not tied to the paper directly.

The Portuguese cartoonist who drew the image, António Moreira Antunes, told CNN at the time that he did not intend for the image to be anti-Semitic.