On Sunday (November 13th) the MTV European Music Awards took place in Düsseldorf. The artist Noa Kirel not only attracted attention with her win as “Best Israeli Act”, but also because of her outfit. The 21-year-old Israeli wore Kanye West’s faces all over her clothes, along with some necklaces featuring the Star of David and the Jewish character “chai,” meaning “life.” Kanye West was recently criticized for anti-Semitism, among other things.
Noa Kirel explained that she “decided to wear an article of clothing on the MTV red carpet with a message for the whole world, an article of clothing that clearly symbolizes that I am both Jewish and Israeli.” She continues: “We’ve seen a lot of anti-Semitism lately, particularly in relation to statements made by Kanye West. I am proud to be an Israeli artist representing Israel in the world.”
The singer not only won the Best Israeli Act category at the MTV EMAs this year, but has done so every year since 2017. She won her fifth EMA this year. She will also represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
Kanye West has expressed anti-Semitism on social media and in interviews in recent weeks. Many brands ended their partnership with the rapper, including Adidas, causing him to lose an estimated $1.5 billion of his fortune, according to estimates.