Kanye West's Rejected Invitation To Holocaust Museum Draws Antisemitic Reactions
Musician Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, continues to face a firestorm of criticism and fallout for his recent antisemitic remarks. The comments have sparked additional additional antisemitism on social media.
Ye tweeted a string of antisemitic remarks on Oct. 8, including one that said he would go "death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE..."
The 45-year-old continued, "The funny thing is I actually can't be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda."
The tweet was subsequently removed by Twitter, while Meta removed an Instagram post which featured texts between Ye and music producer Sean "P.Diddy" Combs in which Ye claimed he would "show the Jews that told you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me."
Holocaust Museum LA responded to Ye's comments in an Instagram story on Oct. 11.
"Words matter and have consequences Ye. We urge you to come visit us at Holocaust Museum LA to understand just how words can incite horrific violence and genocides. The Holocaust started with only words that sadly begat stereotypes, racial and religious tropes and blaming others and led the murder of six million Jews," the post read.
The museum has since received an influx of social media messages, "some filled with hate, threats and vitriol," according to a series of tweets from the museum's page.
"To those who are using this as a platform to continue to spew hate we have a message for you: You will not discourage us from our mission to share the lessons of the Holocaust to commemorate those who were murdered, to educate all who will listen and learn," the museum tweeted on Oct. 13.
Holocaust Museum LA is the oldest museum of its kind in the U.S. It was founded in 1961 by Holocaust survivors.
Ye had rejected an invitation to the Holocaust Museum LA while on an Oct. 15 episode of the "Drink Champs" podcast. He called Planned Parenthood "our [Black people's] Holocaust museum." The video from the podcast interview has since been removed by YouTube and Revolt.
Ye's comments have sparked similar antisemitic remarks, including a large banner that was hung over a Los Angeles highway that read,"Kanye is right about the Jews." There have also been several flyers distributed to L.A. homes spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Multiple companies have severed ties with the artist including his agency, CAA, as well as fashion giants Balenciaga, Gap and Adidas. Several celebrities have also voiced criticism regarding Ye's comments including comedians Eric Andre and Sarah Silverman, as well as Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon.
Reality television star Kim Kardashian, who was married to Ye for about eight years, has reportedly been the victim of social media harassment from the musician since their recent divorce. In a tweet, Kardashian posted: "Hate speech is never OK or excusable. I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end."
Ye has been public about suffering from bipolar disorder, which some have attributed to his erratic public behavior.
"Mental illness can impair the mind and judgement, but it does not create racism," Dr. Amanda Joy Calhoun, a psychiatry resident at Yale Child Study Center, told Gizmodo. "I see many racist psychiatric patients. They say racist things when they are completely stable. Even in cases like dementia, where people lose their memory, I would argue if their 'go-to' is racist remarks, they were racist to begin with."
Recent inflammatory comments from Ye have come at a heavy financial cost. His net worth has plummeted following the controversies, as his deal with Adidas reportedly accounted for $1.5 billion of his net worth.
In April, the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks antisemitic behavior, reported a 34% rise in 2021 in antisemitic incidents at 2,717, which averaged out to more than seven such incidents per day.
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