Rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, has exchanged antisemitic conspiracy theories with Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson during the past month, posted antisemitic memes on his social media sites, and later threatened violence against Jews.
Since declaring his candidacy for president the week before Thanksgiving, he has embarked on a media tour, attacking Jews on podcasts and traveling with a group of notorious antisemites.
White nationalist Nick Fuentes and West both praised Adolf Hitler during their most recent appearances on the InfoWars talk show, which is hosted by provocateur Alex Jones.
West’s praise was rebuffed by Jones, a far-right conspiracy theorist who has been ordered to pay parents more than a billion dollars for claiming that the murder of their children in one of America’s bloodiest school shootings was a “hoax.” Jones also made references to the “Jewish mafia.”
Later, West posted to Twitter the image of a swastika fused with a Star of David. AJC called out the blatant Jew-hatred on social media.
While there are many different types of antisemitism, such as those practiced by white supremacists, Black supremacists, and religious extremists, the rapper’s antisemitic remarks seem to cover the entire spectrum.
With more than 31 million followers on social media, his views have gotten sharper, more irrational, and more threatening. Although West has admitted to having bipolar disorder, mental illness is not a defense for antisemitism.
“Although some have tried, there is no rationale, no explaining away Kanye West’s rants on social media for anything else than what they are: vicious antisemitic statements that pose a clear and present danger to every Jewish person,” said AJC CEO Ted Deutch.
Here are five of Kanye West’s previous statements and how they tie to familiar antisemitic tropes and conspiracies.
“I prefer my kids knew Hannukah from Kwanzaa. At least it will come with some financial engineering.”
During his interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Kanye West said he would prefer his children learn about Hanukkah instead of Kwanzaa because at least the Jewish holiday would teach them about “financial engineering.” Producers cut that statement from the two-part, two-hour conversation that aired on Fox News on Oct. 6 and 7.
“I just think that’s what they’re about, is making money,” West said in an apparent reference to Jared Kushner and his Jewish family.
Fox News did not remove West’s claim that Jewish businessman Jared Kushner only arranged the Abraham Accords for financial gain, in contrast to West’s Hanukkah remarks.
Margaret Sanger made Planned Parenthood, known as eugenics, with the KKK to control the Jew population. When I say Jew, I mean the 12 lost tribes of Judah, the blood of Christ, who the people knew as the Black race. This is who our people are.”
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West spread the falsehood that Planned Parenthood was involved in a plot to stop Black women from having children to slow the rise of the Black population. But he referred to it as the “Jew population” rather than the “Black population.”
This repeated a well-known Black supremacist antisemitic cliche that “white” Jews are “not the true Jews.” Instead, these Black supremacists claimed—without any supporting evidence—that Jews were imposters who had taken Black people’s identity and “birthright” as God’s real chosen people.
This hypothesis holds that after the Kingdom of Israel was destroyed, the descendants of the twelve Hebrew tribes of Israel settled throughout Africa and were eventually sold into slavery.
The Black Hebrew Israelite organization and Louis Farrakhan‘s Nation of Islam have elements of Black supremacy. In 2019, a fatal anti-Semitic assault at a kosher market in Jersey City, New Jersey, was motivated by the latter.
“This ain’t a game. Imma uses you as an example to show the Jewish people that told you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me. I told you this is war. Now gone get you some business.”
To introduce a “White Lives Matter” shirt as part of his clothing brand at Paris Fashion Week, fellow rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs approached Kanye West directly. West uploaded a screenshot of their text conversation on Instagram and claimed Diddy was under the control of Jews.
Jews are allegedly in charge of the media, banking, and governments, according to anti-Semitic stereotypes, which have been around for a while.
Jewish puppet masters are portrayed in these control tales as secretly in charge of the world’s economics, governments, and even, it seems, Grammy Award-winning rappers.
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, deleted the post and, as of the publication of this story on October 13, 2022, had permanently frozen Kanye West’s account.
“I’m a bit sleepy tonight, but when I wake up, I’m going to death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE. The funny thing is I can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are Jews; you guys have toyed with me and tried to blackball anyone who opposes your agenda.”
West posted on Twitter for the first time in close to two years after being locked out of Instagram. He didn’t stay long there either, though.
In a cryptic and potentially misunderstood reference to the defense readiness condition (DEFCON), a phrase used by the American military to describe heightened preparation in the event of a danger West tweeted on October 8 that he would be going “death con 3 on Jewish people.”
Twitter took down West’s message and suspended his account the following morning for breaking the site’s policies against hate speech.
According to Holly Huffnagle, the U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism at AJC, “Social media corporations know their algorithms promote interaction.” And hate speech policies are in place since hate, conspiracy, and lies encourage the most interaction.
These rules are essential when antisemitism is on the rise domestically and internationally. Jews are the targets of more than half of all religiously motivated crimes in the United States.
Additionally, the AJC’s 2021 State of Antisemitism in America survey discovered that roughly a quarter of American Jews had directly experienced antisemitism, and nearly half knew someone who had.
Hatred and intolerance must not be justified, according to Huffnagle. “We must hold people accountable, particularly those whose remarks have a widespread influence.
The dissemination of antisemitic hate speech is immensely amplified when someone uses these forums to announce their intentions to “go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.”
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For almost 4 years, Jason Martin has been a freelance writer for newspapers, journals, blogs, books, and online material. He covers the most recent news as well as many other topics.