Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on February 17, 2023

In a report out Monday (Feb. 13), the Anti-Defamation League chronicles 30 antisemitic incidents over the past several months that the group said directly referenced a string of hateful, anti-Jewish comments made by disgraced rapper Kanye West.

These incidents which include vandalism, banner drops, targeted harassment and campus propaganda distributions demonstrate the ongoing influence of Yes conspiratorial, bigoted rants, read the report from the nations oldest anti-hate organization. The report includes a lengthy list of episodes that took place across the country during, or in the wake of, Wests monthslong spree of interviews and statements amplifying antisemitic stereotypes and hate speech.

Immediately following Yes antisemitic comments, which included inflammatory tropes about Jewish power and Holocaust denial, the slogan Ye Is Right surfaced online in hashtags and antisemitic accounts, read the ADLs report. The ADL Center on Extremism has also tracked references to Ye Is Right in instances of on-the-ground antisemitic vandalism and harassment nationwide.

And while the ADL said only some of the incidents were perpetrated by people who are known extremists, they demonstrate how references to the rapper (who now goes by Ye) were often paired with swastikas or other antisemitic slurs [and]have become mainstream shorthand for the hatred of or a desire to commit violence against Jewish people.

Kanye Wests repeated antisemitic remarks and his dredging up some of the worst anti-Jewish tropes imaginable doubtlessly are having an impact and inspiring people to commit real-world acts of hate, said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO in a statement to Billboard. As we have long maintained, celebrities and others who engage in spreading hateful tropes need to know their words have consequences. Unfortunately, Kanyes decision to continue to peddle hatred against Jews is only giving encouragement to people who are already infected with hate.

At press time, Billboard was unable to reach a spokesperson for Ye. In the wake of his public outbursts, the rapper has since been dropped by his record label, publicists, lawyers, fashion collaborators and brand partners in one of theswiftest, most thorough downfallsof a major pop-culture figure in recent memory.

In January, Billboard spoke to a number of experts about the whether Yes offensive rhetoric signaled a potential rising wave of hate and intolerance in the nation. A number suggested that they have helped to normalize the spreading of such hate speech by mainstream media personalities.

Among the events the ADL lists as being inspired by Yes comments:

*Editors Note: After an Oct. 8, 2022, tweet in which he announced he was going death con [sic] 3 on Jewish people, Kanye West (Ye) has repeatedly doubled down on antisemitic hate speech, even going so far as to praise Hitler, a man responsible for the systematic murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust. This arrives at a troubling time when antisemitism is on the rise, with the Anti-Defamation League noting a 34% year-over-year increase in antisemitic incidents (assault, harassment and vandalism) in America in 2021. Many companies have cut business ties with the rapper/fashion designer, while numerous musicians, friends and politicians have condemned his comments.

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Kanye Wests Rants Tied to 30 Nationwide Antisemitic Incidents: Anti ...

Category: Anti-Defamation League
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