Kanye West‘s multiple anti-Jewish tirades in 2022 have been linked to over two dozen antisemitic incidents in the last few months, according to a new report.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a report on Monday (February 13) that named 30 separate incidents that directly referenced Ye’s derogatory comments about Jews.
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“These incidents — which include vandalism, banner drops, targeted harassment and campus propaganda distributions — demonstrate the ongoing influence of Ye’s conspiratorial, bigoted rants,” the ADL wrote.
“Immediately following Ye’s antisemitic comments, which included inflammatory tropes about Jewish power and Holocaust denial, the slogan ‘Ye Is Right’ surfaced online in hashtags and antisemitic accounts. The ADL Center on Extremism has also tracked references to ‘Ye Is Right’ in instances of on-the-ground antisemitic vandalism and harassment nationwide.”
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In a statement to Billboard, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said that Kanye is “inspiring people to commit real-world acts of hate.”
“Kanye West’s 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,” Greenblatt said. “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.”
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Among the 30 listed incidents was a “Ye is right, change my mind” series of college campus gatherings by the white supremacist Groypers organization in January – during which extremists peddled “Holocaust denial and praise Hitler, all under the auspices of defending Ye’s antisemitic comments and outbursts.”
The ADL also said that there’s been an increase in antisemitic posts on Twitter and a decrease in moderation of such posts amid Elon Musk’s leadership. There have been more than 9,400 Twitter mentions using, or referencing, the “Ye Is Right” slogan since October, according to the report.
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Kanye’s comments have also been connected to a long string of antisemitic incidents that include vandalism and harassment at K-12 schools, colleges and universities, Jewish institutions, public areas and commercial locations.
A list of a dozen incidents spanning multiple states from October to December included someone scrawling “Kanye was right” and “Defcon III” on a sidewalk on the University of Wisconsin campus, the phrases “Kanye West is right” and “Kill All Jews” along with a three swastikas written on the wall of a high school bathroom, the phrase “Blacks are the real Jews!” and “Kanye is Right” on the welcome sign at a Bronx Orthodox synagogue and more.
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Ye has been relentlessly criticized for months over his repeated antisemitic comments, and despite the pushback and financial loss he’s endured, has continued to double down on his love of bigoted German mass murderer Hitler.
While he apologized for his “hurtful” comments in an October sit-down with Piers Morgan, he’s since continued to support Nazis and attack Jewish people. In January, Ye was spotted donning a T-shirt with the German Reich symbol on it while going on a shopping spree in Balenciaga.
In his most recent interview with Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes in Los Angeles, Ye went so far as to demand that Jewish people forgive Hitler and “let it go.”
Among the many people, brands and organizations that have separated themselves from Ye following his rants is adidas – which reportedly led to the company losing over a billion dollars in revenue for 2023.
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In a statement, they added that adidas could be drained of an additional $534 million if it’s unable to repurpose the remaining Yeezy clothes, with CEO Bjørn Gulden adding that “the numbers speak for themselves.”
