Kanye West’s anti-semitic remarks are the subject of a new report from the Anti-Defamation League
The Jewish non-governmental organization has compiled a timeline of incidents that are inspired by or related to the musician’s public outbursts.
An investigation by the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish non-governmental organization with a focus on civil rights law, has connected Kanye “Ye” West’s anti-Semitic remarks to actual anti-Jewish sentiment on social media and in actual physical locations.
At least 30 anti-Semitic incidents, including vandalism, banners with hate speech, targeted harassment, and campaigns in support of the artist’s statements on college campuses, have been documented by the ADL’s Center on Extremism since October 2022.
One illustration is the hashtag “#YeIsRight,” which has been trending on Twitter since October 1 and has been mentioned or referenced more than 9,400 times. On January 26, 2023, it was also observed written in chalk on a sidewalk at the University of Alabama.
Events called “Ye is right, change my mind” have been organized by well-known extremist, white supremacist groups like the Groypers, whose members use Ye’s outbursts to support their own Holocaust denial and Hitler adoration.
The first occasion, which also served as Ye’s endorsement for the 2024 presidential race, was held at Florida Atlantic University on January 18, 2023.
“Kanye West’s repeated anti-Semitic 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,” Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO, said in an emailed statement to THR. “As we have long maintained, celebrities and others who engage in spreading hateful tropes need to know their words have consequences. Unfortunately, Kanye’s decision to continue to peddle hatred against Jews is only giving encouragement to people who are already infected with hate.”
The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust received harassment in the form of anti-Semitic phone calls and emails after giving Ye a tour. Other incidents included when members of the Goyim Defense League displayed a banner and vandalism, such as when someone wrote the words “Kanye West Is right” and “Kill All Jews” alongside three swastikas on the wall of a high school bathroom in Newport Beach, California.