Kanye West, who has repeatedly made anti-Semitic comments in the past, apologized for his tirades on social media on Tuesday (December 26). He posted a picture on his Instagram and X profile with a self-written apology in Hebrew. This post led to mixed reactions from Jewish organizations as well as (former) fans of the rapper.
In the post the 46-year-old addressed to the Jewish community, he wrote: “I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any inadvertent outburst caused by my words or actions. It was not my intention to offend or humiliate and I deeply regret the pain I have caused. I am committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future. Your forgiveness is important to me and I am committed to making amends and promoting equality.”
See the post here:
Divided opinions in the Jewish community
Representatives of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an American organization based in New York that fights against discrimination and defamation of Jews, responded to West’s apology with a statement on X. They welcomed West’s decision to write the apology in Hebrew : “After causing immeasurable damage by using his enormous influence and platform to poison countless minds with vicious anti-Semitism and hatred, an apology in Hebrew could be the first step on a long road to reparations to the Jewish community and all be those he hurt. Ultimately, actions will speak louder than words, but this first act of repentance is welcome.”
Here you can see the statement from the Anti-Defamation League:
On the other hand, West’s decision to write his apology only in Hebrew was also criticized. A spokesman for the American Jewish Committee argued that Kanye West was “intentionally” depriving most American Jews and non-Jews of the opportunity to read his apology.
West’s statements in the past
In 2022, the US rapper received major criticism after he made a series of anti-Semitic statements. In October 2022, he wore a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt at Paris Fashion Week and, following backlash, tweeted that he “Death Con 3” will be carried out against Jewish people – by which he probably means some kind of violent action. This was followed by numerous interviews and spikes full of hate speech, including glorification of Hitler.
But West doesn’t just stand out because of his anti-Semitic statements. Earlier this month, he showed up at his pre-listening party for upcoming album VULTURES wearing a black Ku Klux Klan hood.