Money Management - the celebrity talent agency that represented tragic Love Island host Caroline Flack - has been accused of using a "grotesque antisemitic caricature" to promote their company’s name.
An image of a shrivelled Jewish man, based around the fictional character from Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist novel is clearly displayed at the bottom of the company's web page alongside the name and address for Money Management's office in central London.
The same image was recently offered for sale at an auction as part of a lot titled "Antisemitism & Nazi Propaganda".
Danny Stone, chief executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, told the JC: "Money Management seeks to build trust with celebrity clients.
"Why then does it have a grotesque antisemitic caricature of a make-believe thief on its homepage?
"Given the company name, and the old antisemitic trope of Jews and money, this is doubly offensive.
“I'd be ashamed of this company if it were representing me, and no doubt many of its clients will want answers."
The use of a Jewish character to portray the villian and main antogonist in Dickens' most famous novel has sparked much debate over antisemitism both in the author’s lifetime and more recently.
Dickens, who had extensive knowledge of London street life, wrote that he had made Fagin Jewish because: "It unfortunately was true, of the time to which the story refers, that the class of criminal almost invariably was a Jew".
He also claimed that by calling Fagin "the Jew" he had meant no imputation against the Jewish people.
He said: "I have no feeling towards the Jews but a friendly one. I always speak well of them, whether in public or private, and bear my testimony (as I ought to do) to their perfect good faith in such transactions as I have ever had with them..."
Aware of the hurt he had caused to the Jewish people with his Fagin character, Dickens removed mulitple mentions of “the Jew” from later editions of Oliver Twist.
Money Management, also known as Money Talent Management, has established itself as one of the best known companies in the celebrity world with a client base that includes BBC presenters Edith Bowman and Trevor Nelson, actress Sadie Frost and Radio 1 drivetime host Nick Grimshaw.
The company has recently come under the spotlight over the death of their former client and Love Island host Ms Flack, who took her own life aged 40 earlier this month.
The JC has attempted to contact Money Management via email and by telephone to comment on the use of the Fagin image on their company website.
