Opinion: Kanye West’s anti-semitic comments spike rise in anti-semitism across the US.
Kanye West is known all over the world for his music, fashion, marriage to Kim Kardashian, and more recently, his anti-semetic comments. Alongside his anti-semetic comments, he tweeted out bizarre conspiracy theories and criticized the Black Lives Matter movement, sparking an immediate rise in anti-semitism and a strong sense of fear among the Jewish community. West needs to understand the consequences of his actions and words, and fans should no longer support him.
To begin Kanye’s spur of wild comments, he wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt at his Yeezy Paris Fashion show. He even dressed some of his models in “White Lives Matter” outfits as well. The “White Lives Matter” movement was started by white supremists and neo-Nazi groups as a response to the Black Lives Matter movement. This decision by Kanye clearly shows his support for extremist groups and that he is not afraid to share his beliefs.
On Oct. 9, West claimed on Twitter he was going to go “death con 3 on the Jewish people.” Shortly following this tweet, West was locked out of his social media accounts, but the consequences of his comments were not stopped. Brands began to cut ties with West due to the pressure of the public. By the end of October, Kanye was no longer a billionaire. Adidas, Balenciaga, GAP, Foot Locker, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and more all cut ties with West. The loss of West’s Adidas partnership cost him a hefty $1.5 billion dent to his net worth. A completed documentary, by MRC, that was soon to be released about the life of Kanye was scrapped and will not be released to the public as well. This was a clear statement by brands that they will not support West and his anti-semetic comments, but they also cut ties with him due to the intense pressure the public put on them.
With a world estimate of about 14.8 million Jews, West has almost double the followers. His Twitter and Instagram followers add up to about 30 million. Kanye should have lost access to his social media accounts long before his anti-semetic remarks, but because of his large following, he was not cut off.
The influence of Kanye West’s comments were immediately seen through the immediate spike in antisemitism. On Oct. 24, banners were hung off of a bridge above Interstate 405 in Los Angeles. One of the anti-semetic banners read, “Kanye was right about the Jews” and a group of people stood behind them in a Nazi salute. A few weeks later, a Jewish cemetery in Chicago was found vandalized. 16 headstones had spray painted swastikas and 23 others were defaced. On top of that, one headstone had the words “Kanye was rite.”
In response, many celebrities have posted their support for their fellow Jews, but this has not helped ease the minds of many Jews who fear they may be the next target of an attack. Many Jews in America do not feel safe expressing their religion and fear attending synagogue.
Jews and Jewish organizations on college campuses have also seen a rise in hateful comments and actions towards them. There have been many reports filed by students saying they have found swastikas on campus, vandalism of Jewish fraternities and sororities, and even hateful comments and slurs directed at them. Universities have not done enough to protect their Jewish students and have swept many instances under the rug in order to protect their name and legacy.
On the same day as the vandalism of the Jewish cemetery in Chicago, a large sign, made out of an op-ed about Jewish pride, had large painted words reading “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” in the middle of Northwestern University’s campus. Not only was this an attack on the student who wrote the op-ed, it created an unsafe environment for Jewish students on campus.
On Nov. 26, a man in the Seattle airport stood in a Nazi salute while yelling anti-semetic remarks as passangers boarded a flight heading to Dallas Forth-Worth, Texas. His comments included “You go to the gas chamber,” “The Jews got what they deserved” and “heil Hitler”. Police were quick to the scene, but the incident was caught on camera and continued to spread fear among the Jewish population all over the world. Even if this instance was not a direct result of Kanye and his remarks, it has shown people all over the world that being anti-semetic does not come with major consequences.
As for Kanye West, he attended a dinner with former President Donald Trump and white nationalist Nick Fuentes on Nov 22. According to Trump, he was helping West, a “troubled man,” and giving him advice after he lost all of his business partners over his anti-semetic remarks. Both Republicans and Democrats condemned Trump’s actions and said he needs to show his support of the Jewish community and not have connections with West. This dinner clearly shows the ideals of Trump and his partners. This dinner only gave West more time in the spotlight.
The only way to stop the rise in antisemitism is through education and taking action against those who commit anti-semetic actions.