Kanye West apologises to Jewish community for antisemitic comments
Kanye West has apologised to the Jewish community for his previous antisemitic comments in a new Instagram post.
The rapper was first accused of antisemitism in October 2022 following a series of posts on both Twitter and Instagram, which saw his accounts on both social media sites be suspended.
Earlier today (December 26), West shared a post written in Hebrew. Translated into English, the message reads: “I sincerely apologise to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions. It was not my intention to hurt or disrespect, and I deeply regret any pain I may 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 greater unity.”
Following the initial claims of antisemitism made against West – now known as Ye – the star was dropped by his lawyer, talent agency and record label, while several fashion brands, including Balenciaga and Adidas, ended their partnerships with him. Celebrities and politicians around the world condemned his comments, while West said he didn’t “believe” in the term antisemitism in an interview with News Nation‘s Chris Cuomo.
He refused to apologise for making antisemitic comments in an interview with Piers Morgan but said: “I will say, I’m sorry for the people that I hurt with the ‘death con’ [antisemitic tweet]… I feel like I caused hurt and confusion, and I’m sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I had been through, and that I used my platform where you say ‘hurt people hurt people’ – and I was hurt.”
Since those first claims were made, further allegations of antisemitism have also been levelled against West. In a BBC documentary, The Trouble With KanYe, the star’s former friend and business partner Alex Klein – who worked with him on ‘Donda 2’ – alleged West had said Klein was like “exactly like like the other Jews” and that the rapper believed Jewish people were “working together to hold him back”.
West also reportedly paid a settlement to a former employee who alleged he had used antisemitic language in the workplace and praised Hitler – Ye denied the claims in the agreement. Former TMZ staffer Van Lathan also claimed the star had praised “Hitler and the Nazis” during an interview at the publication’s headquarters in 2018.
It was alleged that the rapper once drew a swastika in a meeting with Adidas about his Yeezy footwear line. He was named “antisemite of the year” by watchdog group StopAntisemitism in December 2022 for “propagating the most Jew hatred in 2022”.
Last month, West referenced the antisemitism allegations against him in a new song called ‘Vultures’. It was his first track since the initial claims in October 2022 and has not been released on streaming, but was premiered on a Chicago radio station.
“How I’m antisemitic?” he rapped at one point during the song. “I just fucked a Jewish bitch.”
In July, Ice Cube claimed that West has “learned a lot” from the reaction to his comments. During an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, the star said he believes that “Ye understands that generalising will always get you in more hot water than being very specific”.
“I believe he’s doing great,” he added. “He’s still dealing with some people trying to hold on to his money. But for the most part, I believe he’s in a good space. I think he’s learned a lot from this past year, and hopefully, he’ll come out better on the other side.”
West previously appeared to backtrack on his comments in March when he said he “likes Jewish people again” after watching Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street. “No one should take anger against one or two individuals and transform that into hatred towards millions of people,” he said. “No Christian can be labelled antisemite knowing Jesus is Jew.”
The post Kanye West apologises to Jewish community for antisemitic comments appeared first on NME.
Rhian Daly
NME
