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Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anti-Defamation League CEO: Ye's Stunt Exposed Tech Platforms' Antisemitism Problem
Our culture has long been vulnerable to celebrities and influencers who popularize hate. From Father Charles Coughlin in the 1930s to Mel Gibson in the 2000s, each has taken advantage of their platform to spread conspiracy theories or antisemitic tropes to the masses. But the rapper and internet celebrity Kanye West, or 'Ye,' remains in a category all his own. Unlike others before him, Ye has never tried to mask his hatred of Jews or couch his beliefs in timeworn antisemitic conspiracy theories. While he once seemingly attempted an apology to the Jewish community, Ye has doubled and tripled down on his antisemitic rants – again and again and again. Ye, who makes no secret of his hatred for the Jewish people, infamously threatened to go 'death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.' His latest apology, issued last week, came as a short burst of tweets less than 9 hours after an antisemitic extremist gunned down a young couple outside of the Capital Jewish Museum. More from The Hollywood Reporter HarbourView Buys Royalty Rights From "Say My Name," "Stay With Me" Producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins (Exclusive) Trump Pardons Rapper NBA Youngboy, Who Was Sentenced for Gun-Related Charges Fifth Harmony, Minus Camila Cabello, in Talks to Reunite (Exclusive) 'I'm done with antisemitism,' he wrote. But I'm not buying it. Ye's pattern of recidivist antisemitism has continued since 2022, so no one should be surprised by his latest antisemitic stunt: the release of a new music video, outrageously titled 'Heil Hitler,' and companion song titled 'WW3,' which glorified the architect of the Holocaust and dredged up a few more antisemitic tropes for good measure. What's worse? Thanks to the power of technology, literally millions of people streamed the new song as it made the rounds — predictably and virally — on social media platforms like Spotify and SoundCloud. While Ye's Hitler-glorifying lyrics stood in clear violation of their policies against hate speech, most social platforms failed to act when the video first hit their algorithms. Some, shamefully, still haven't acted at all. This inertia has consequences. When phrases like 'Heil Hitler' are made more popular, our cultural safeguards against overt antisemitism crumble and the guardrails against other forms of hate give way. Ye's descent into Hitler fandom isn't happening in a vacuum. With antisemitic beliefs already at their highest levels in decades, and with Jewish communities around the world facing a tsunami of antisemitic harassment and vandalism, especially post-Oct. 7, his comments about Jews and praise for Hitler are reaching a younger, more susceptible audience. A recent ADL survey found that 46 percent of the world's adult population harbor deeply entrenched antisemitic attitudes, more than double compared to just a decade ago. And in a startling shift from previous findings, U.S. polling data in 2024 revealed that millennials and members of Generation Z are more likely to harbor antisemitic tropes than older Americans. Social media grants to unhinged antisemites, racists and bigots like Ye the kind of massive global audience that Hitler's propaganda minister Josef Goebbels could only have imagined. To put this into perspective, Ye has 33.5 million followers on X (formerly Twitter); the global Jewish population currently is estimated at 15.8 million. The damage that's being done by these powerful high-tech companies as they attempt to grapple with problems they themselves created is immeasurable. This moment is made even worse by the backsliding of certain platforms like X and Meta on their approaches to addressing antisemitism. Meta no longer proactively removes hate speech without first receiving a user report. Mark Zuckerberg has called this 'a trade-off.' I would call it an abdication. Protections that were in place several years ago and could have mitigated the reach of something as vile as Ye's 'Heil Hitler' have been dismantled on these prominent platforms. We've seen the results in the data: Jewish members of Congress have faced a nearly fivefold increase in antisemitic harassment on Facebook since the start of the year, thanks most likely to the controversial changes to Meta's moderation policies in January. Our latest report card gave X an 'F' for how it handled reports of obvious and explicit antisemitic content. These kinds of changes create an online environment for antisemitism to not only survive but thrive on these platforms. Released on May 8, which was also the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat, Ye's Hitler video has racked up an eye-popping 10 million views on X as of this writing. Meanwhile, Spotify only took down the song following public pressure but has yet to answer for allowing major podcasts to platform Holocaust deniers and amplify virulent antisemites. Another pro-Nazi song from Ye, 'WW3,' still remains available on the platform. As a result, the hardcore bigots are taking a victory lap. Far-right influencers shared the video on their pages. Andrew Tate, the prominent far-right misogynist, posted a video of himself playing the song in his car. That video currently has more than three million views. Social platforms that cater to teenagers and potentially even younger children should make every effort to protect users from experiencing harassment and hate speech. Ye's song comes at a time when knowledge about the history of the Holocaust is fading. An estimated one in five survey respondents, said in a recent poll that they are unaware of the Holocaust; less than half recognize its historical accuracy. There's no doubt his words and actions have consequences. In 2022, ADL documented at least 30 antisemitic incidents that directly referenced Ye after his antisemitic outbursts made headlines. It took a decade just to get Facebook to recognize it had a Holocaust denial problem. Social media companies need to stop backsliding on their responsibility to fight hate today. They must step up, before it is too late. Jonathan A. Greenblatt is CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Black America Web
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Kanye West Says He's 'Done With Antisemitism' But Social Media Isn't Buying It
Source: Edward Berthelot / Getty Kanye West is always down for a controversial (or downright hateful) take, but now he's stepping back from one of his most hateful stances. The embattled rapper's biggest cancellation is his constant bashing of the Jewish community, and according to him, the antisemitism ends now. He took to X with a fury of back-to-back posts about his decision. 'I am done with antisemitism. I love all people,' he began. 'God forgive me for the pain I've caused. I forgive those who have caused me pain. Thank you God.' When explaining why he's changing his divisive remarks, he thanked his kids for the change in perspective. 'I simply got a FaceTime from my kids and I wanna save the world again,' he added. 'Share peace. Share love.' While fans may be wary of Ye's motives or his truthfulness because of his constantly changing views, the announcement could signal the end of a dark chapter for him. It began in 2022 when, amid a Twitter rant, he tweeted, 'I'm going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,' and hurled accusations saying the Jewish immunity 'toyed with me and tried to blackball anyone who opposes your agenda.' He was subsequently dropped from his deals with Gap and adidas and shunned on social media. But he doubled down and continued to crash out over his views, professing his love for Hitler, a Super Bowl commercial that directed people to a site selling swastika t-shirts, releasing a track called 'Heil Hitler,' and wearing a custom blacked-out KKK outfit during an interview with DJ Akademiks. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which has long criticized Ye's anti-semitic remarks, isn't buying the apology, though, especially on the heels of a young couple who worked at the Israeli embassy being killed outside the Jewish Museum in Washington, DC earlier this week. 'Sorry, but we're not buying it. We've seen this kind of attempted apology from Kanye before, only for him to back down over and over again,' the ADL said in a statement to Billboard , adding that 'it's going to take a lot more than a couple of tweets to repair the damage of his antisemitic speech.' See how social media is reacting to Ye's latest decision below. Kanye West Says He's 'Done With Antisemitism' But Social Media Isn't Buying It was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Fox News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Mark Levin warns Americans after murder of Israeli diplomats, says 'the West is weak' against growing threat
Print Close By Taylor Penley Published May 22, 2025 Fox News host Mark Levin unleashed a scathing rebuke of the radical fusion of Marxism and Islamists that he says are out to "destroy" America, accusing Hamas sympathizers of infiltrating multiple corners of society and fueling the antisemitic hatred that prompted the murders of two Israeli embassy staffers late Wednesday in Washington, D.C. "They're marching through the streets like no Nazis ever have, like no Klansmen ever have in our country, calling for the destruction of the United States of America, the overthrow of the West, burning the American flag, chasing Jewish students on college campuses, threatening elderly Jews who hold signs on the streets peacefully, attacking our synagogues…" the "Life, Liberty and Levin" host said Thursday on "Fox & Friends." Levin warned that America is not merely at risk. Rather, it is already at siege from within and the institutions too paralyzed or altogether unwilling to facilitate change – Congress, the courts and even the previous presidential administration – have created an easy opening that allows what he bluntly called the "enemy" to thrive. LIVE UPDATES: JEWISH COUPLE GUNNED DOWN OUTSIDE DC JEWISH MUSEUM He placed much of the blame on open border policies and weak national resolve, accusing adversarial nations – namely Qatar and China – of internally fueling an anti-Western sentiment that has reared its head at U.S. colleges and universities in displays of antisemitism and anti-Israel protests in recent years. The rise of such ideology, empowered by weakness in the West is also enabling a modern-day "Kristallnacht" in the U.S. and in Europe, he said, referencing the infamous 1938 Nazi-led attack on Jewish homes, synagogues, and businesses in Germany also known as the "Night of Broken Glass." TRUMP ADMIN WON'T TOLERATE ANTISEMITISM IN SCHOOLS, SAYS LEO TERRELL, AS NYC SCHOOLS UNDER MICROSCOPE "Jews are not safe in every capital in Europe, and now they're not safe in our capital…" he cautioned. "We need to learn and see what's taking place. This isn't about free speech… This is being funded by Qatar and other countries… There are more Islamist front groups in this country, terrorist front groups in this country, [and] they multiply like rabbits." Levin credited the Trump administration for doing "yeoman's work" to curb the threat, unlike the Biden administration, which he argued directly jeopardized national security and the integrity of Western ideals by failing to vet illegal immigrants while embracing open borders. "Is this what we want? Is this who we are? Because the ruling class is letting us down. Seal the damn borders, which is what President Trump is doing. Stop every damn penny coming into this country from these terrorist states. I don't care if they put smiles on their faces and hold seminars or whatever the hell they're doing. They're the enemy." A witness to the shooting described on "Fox & Friends" that the gunman shouted "Free Palestine!" as he was being taken into custody by police. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Print Close URL
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Kanye West's 'pro-Hitler' song faces backlash; Concert in South Korea cancelled ahead of public criticism
Kanye West has been making the headlines recently for releasing a 'pro-Hitler' song. The singer and rapper's latest song has caused major controversy and backlash amongst the public ever since its release. Due to this, West's concert in South Korea, which was supposed to be held on May 31, now stands cancelled. Kanye West faces global backlash; South Korea concert cancelled Kanye West's concert titled ' YE Korea Concert ', which was originally meant to be held on May 31, now stands cancelled. The concert organisers, according to reports from Allkpop, have issued an official statement announcing the cancellation. In their issued statement, the organising team shared that 'Due to recent controversies surrounding the artist Kanye, the 'YE Korea Concert' scheduled for Saturday, May 31, has been inevitably cancelled.' Not only that, but in addition to the concert cancellation, any and all merchandise sales of West's brand will also be stopped. They added in their statement regarding the matter that 'Sales of Yeezy brand merchandise will also be halted starting from 1 PM on Monday, May 19.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Launch - AVIK at Birla Navya - 4.5 BHK - Gurugram Birla Navya AVIK Click Here Undo Kanye West's antisemitic ideology raises concerns This is not the first time that West's antisemitic ideology has raised major concerns amongst the public. The rapper has been extremely public about his statements and has shared praise for Nazi ideology as well. Earlier in February, the rapper had taken to his online social media accounts and had gone on a rant about his antisemitic views. He had also added that he does not 'like or trust any Jewish person'. In his social media post, the rapper had said that 'ANY JEWISH PERSON THAT DOES BUSINESS WITH ME NEEDS TO KNOW I DON'T LIKE OR TRUST ANY JEWISH PERSON AND THIS IS COMPLETELY SOBER WITH NO HENNESSY. I'M NEVER APOLOGISING FOR MY JEWISH COMMENTS.' Even before this, Kanye had made antisemitic comments, for which he had earlier issued an apology in 2023. His comments as well as ideological alliances have lost him a number of brand deals and have managed to wreak havoc on his reputation in public as well. About Kanye West's 'pro-Hitler' song The controversial song 'Heil Hitler' was recently released on May 8, the same day as Victory in Europe Day. The day was originally meant to commemorate and celebrate the end of WW2. Ever since its release, the song has been blocked on some major music and video streaming platforms and has been continuously facing backlash. Beyond that, however, the song is also not available for viewing in Germany either since the artwork includes Nazi symbols and a part of Hitler's speech, all of which are banned in Germany.
News24
29-04-2025
- Politics
- News24
Israel commits Gaza genocide and 'states watched on as if powerless', says Amnesty report
Amnesty International accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. Israel has rejected accusations of genocide from rights organisations. Amnesty also highlighted Israel's actions in the occupied West Bank. Amnesty International on Tuesday accused Israel of committing a "live-streamed genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza by forcibly displacing most of the population and deliberately creating a humanitarian catastrophe. In its annual report, Amnesty charged that Israel had acted with "specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, thus committing genocide". Israel has rejected accusations of "genocide" from Amnesty, other rights groups and some states in its war in Gaza. The conflict erupted after the Palestinian militant group Hamas' deadly 7 October 2023 attacks inside Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1 218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Militants also abducted 251 people, 58 of whom are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel in response launched a relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip and a ground operation that according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory has left at least 52 243 dead. "Since 7 October 2023, when Hamas perpetrated horrific crimes against Israeli citizens and others and captured more than 250 hostages, the world has been made audience to a live-streamed genocide," Amnesty's secretary general Agnes Callamard said in the introduction to the report. "States watched on as if powerless, as Israel killed thousands upon thousands of Palestinians, wiping out entire multigenerational families, destroying homes, livelihoods, hospitals and schools," she added. AFP Amnesty's report said the Israeli campaign had left most of the Palestinians of Gaza "displaced, homeless, hungry, at risk of life-threatening diseases and unable to access medical care, power or clean water". OPEN LETTER TO JEWISH INSTITUTIONS | Silence is not neutrality, it is complicity Amnesty said that throughout 2024 it had "documented multiple war crimes by Israel, including direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects, and indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks". It said Israel's actions forcibly displaced 1.9 million Palestinians, around 90% of Gaza's population, and "deliberately engineered an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe". Even as protesters hit the streets in Western capitals, "the world's governments individually and multilaterally failed repeatedly to take meaningful action to end the atrocities and were slow even in calling for a ceasefire". AFP Meanwhile, Amnesty also sounded alarm over Israeli actions in the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank, and repeated an accusation that Israel was employing a system of "apartheid". "Israel's system of apartheid became increasingly violent in the occupied West Bank, marked by a sharp increase in unlawful killings and state-backed attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian civilians," it said. Heba Morayef, Amnesty director for the Middle East and North Africa region, denounced "the extreme levels of suffering that Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to endure on a daily basis over the past year" as well as "the world's complete inability or lack of political will to put a stop to it".
