Ye Expresses Remorse in Hebrew for His Antisemitic Remarks, ADL RESPONDS
On Tuesday, the musician Ye, who used to be known as Kanye West, expressed his remorse for his antisemitic comments that drew backlash, and asked the Jewish community for their pardon and acknowledged the hurt he caused.
He posted on Instagram in Hebrew, saying “I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any unplanned outburst. … It was not my intent to hurt or disrespect, and I very much regret any pain I may have caused.”
His social media posts from last year, which included a swastika inside a Star of David, and a tweet saying he would go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE”, had provoked anger and condemnation. He also wrote on Instagram that he would “start with myself, and learn from this situation to be more sensitive and aware in the future.” He added, "Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to repair and to advancing unity."The ADL, a group that monitors antisemitism, had called his comments hateful and conspiratorial, and said he was mentioned in 59 antisemitic incidents they recorded in 2022.
The group said in a statement to USA Today that “after using his enormous power and platform to spread vicious antisemitism and hate to countless people, an apology in Hebrew might be the first step on a long road to making up to the Jewish community and all those who he has harmed.” They also said that “actions will speak louder than words but this initial act of contrition is welcome.”Ye’s antisemitic tirades in interviews and on social media cost him his deals with Adidas and Gap for Yeezy products, and also resulted in limitations on his social media accounts. Rabbi Mordechai Ben Avraham, an Orthodox rabbi who lives in Jerusalem, said he was astonished by Ye’s apology but wondered if it had anything to do with his upcoming album. He said, “He just last week had another rant where he was talking about Zionists.”"So I'm not sure if this apology is about what happened last week in his last rant or is he just dealing with before with the Defcon 3 statement."