The rapper formerly known as Kanye West, who has a lengthy history of making antisemitic remarks, apologized to the Jewish community on Tuesday in an Instagram post written in Hebrew.
He expressed his sincere regret to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst that his words or deeds may have caused.
“It was not my intention to offend or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused,” said the rapper, who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021.
The comment comes less than two weeks after Ye went on an anti-Semitic rant in Las Vegas while promoting his next album, “Vultures,” which is set to be released on January 12. He made insinuating remarks about Jewish influence and compared himself to Jesus Christ and Adolf Hitler throughout his rant.
An apology in Hebrew may be the first step on a long journey towards making amends to the Jewish community
“After causing untold damage by using his vast influence and platform to poison countless minds with vicious antisemitism and hate, an apology in Hebrew may be the first step on a long journey towards making amends to the Jewish community and all those who he has hurt,” the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement to The Associated Press and other news outlets on Tuesday. “Ultimately, actions will speak louder than words but this initial act of contrition is welcome.”
The American Jewish Committee, on the other hand, chastised Ye’s use of Hebrew in his apologies.
“Beyond being bizarre and possibly a ploy to gain more attention, the Hebrew apology — posted without translation — is inaccessible to most American Jews who do not speak the language,” the American Jewish Committee stated in a statement to the AP. “To be sure, using Hebrew to communicate with the Jewish community intentionally denies most American Jews— and, consequently, non-Jews—the ability to directly see Kanye’s apology.”
“While he claims that he is committed to learning and greater understanding, this apology speaks to ‘any pain I may have caused,’ rather than acknowledging the pain that he has caused,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The design label Balenciaga severed connections with Ye
He has a history of making nasty and anti-Semitic remarks, including support for Hitler and the Nazis. He also allegedly advocated for enslavement and labelled the coronavirus vaccine “the mark of the beast.” He was chastised in October 2022 for wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt to his Paris Fashion Week show and tweeted that he was going to go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” an apparent reference to the United States defence preparedness condition scale, DEFCON.
Later that month, the design label Balenciaga severed connections with Ye, and he lost the lucrative collaboration with Adidas that helped propel him to billionaire status due to his remarks.
“Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect, and fairness,” the German sportswear manufacturer stated. Adidas has sold hundreds of millions of euros worth of remaining Yeezy shoes, donating some proceeds to organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change.
(However, Adidas CEO Bjrn Gulden recently stated on a podcast interview that he did not believe Ye “meant what he said, and I don’t think he’s a bad person.” Gulden eventually apologized, according to the Anti-Defamation League.)
CAA also dropped him, and his documentary with MRC Entertainment was cancelled. He was barred from using Instagram and what was then known as Twitter, although he has subsequently returned to both networks.
This isn’t the first time the rapper has apologized for anti-Semitic remarks. On a podcast in October 2022, he expressed regret for his “death con 3” tweet, calling it a mistake and apologizing to “the Jewish community.” In addition, he appeared on “Piers Morgan Uncensored.”
CAA also dropped him, and his documentary with MRC Entertainment was cancelled.
“I will say I’m sorry for the people that I hurt with the confusion that I caused,” he remarked during the interview. However, he told conspiracy theorist and presenter Alex Jones less than two months later that he saw “good things about Hitler.”
“We’ve seen this behavior from Kanye before — the antisemitic rant and the follow-up apology,” the American Jewish Committee remarked.
Ye’s most recent apology concludes with him committing to “learning from this experience” and “making amends.” A spokesperson for Ye should have replied more quickly to the AP’s request for additional comment.
Kanye West is a well-known rapper, composer, and fashion designer who has significantly impacted the music business. He has recorded several critically acclaimed albums and is known for his distinct sound and creativity.
West is also known for his outspoken demeanour; his controversial words and acts have grabbed headlines. Despite this, he is a renowned cultural icon with a tremendous impact on the music and fashion industries.
SOURCE – (AP)
