The Rapper’s Posts on Jewish Community Lead to Criticism from Public Figures and Calls for Ban from Platform
Kanye West, the US rapper known as Ye, has deleted his X account after facing widespread criticism for a series of offensive posts targeting the Jewish community. The controversial posts included statements such as “I love Hitler” and “I’m a Nazi,” drawing significant backlash from public figures, including actor David Schwimmer.
On Friday, many of West’s posts were deemed hate-filled, with one in particular stating, “I’m never apologising for my Jewish comments.” As a result of the remarks, his account was marked with a “sensitive content warning” by X. In response to the outrage, West wrote, “I’m logging out of Twitter,” thanking X owner Elon Musk for providing him a platform to express his views.
During the Super Bowl, West also posted a comment about Taylor Swift, questioning the narrative surrounding her music and its portrayal of Black men. These posts, combined with his antisemitic comments, have caused uproar, leading several groups to demand that Musk remove West from the platform.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism condemned West’s actions, urging Musk to take immediate action. A spokesperson from the group stated, “Ye has gone on an antisemitic rampage online. It couldn’t be clearer that he is an unrepentant, proud antisemite.” They further argued that allowing such behaviour on the platform is harmful and contributes to real-life violence against Jewish individuals.
David Schwimmer also expressed his concerns on Instagram, stating, “Silence is complicity.” The actor called on Musk to take action, criticising West’s large platform of 32.7 million followers, many of whom were exposed to his harmful rhetoric.
West’s controversial online activity is not new. His X account was previously suspended in October 2022 for antisemitic comments, but it was reinstated the following month. In December 2022, his account was once again suspended after posting an image of a swastika inside a Star of David, leading to accusations of incitement to violence. His account was later unsuspended in July 2023.