In mid-October, I wrote an article about a tweet posted by known rapper and influencer
Kanye West, now legally known as Ye.

The tweet in question was antisemitic, meaning it displayed hostile and prejudiced
sentiments toward Jewish people. Even though it has since been removed, the language he
used in that tweet and in other public statements since has incited violence and antisemitic
speech toward Jewish people.

I said that his language was dangerous. I did not realize how dangerous it was.
Since that tweet, two things have happened: many of Ye’s affiliations have been
terminated, and followers have been given a platform to express and act on their
antisemitism.

Let me put this into perspective.

MRC, a production company about to release a documentary about Kanye West,
cancelled the project last week. They also published a statement with a powerful quote that I
could not put into better words, which reads, “Kanye is a producer and sampler of music.
Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has charted for over 3000 years —
the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain.

“This song was performed a cappella in the time of the Pharaohs, Babylon and Rome,
went acoustic with The Spanish Inquisition and Russia’s Pale of Settlement, and Hitler took
the song electric. Kanye has now helped mainstream it in the modern era.”

I hope that you as readers think about that statement and how serious the situation is. I
understand that Ye is a great musician. I am not telling you to stop listening to his music, just
know that he is creating a platform for and encouraging hatred.

How do I know that is what’s happening? On Saturday, Oct. 22 a group of masked
individuals hung signs from an overpass on the California Interstate 405 — one of the
busiest freeways in Los Angeles — that promoted the antisemitic organization Goyim
Defense League and read, “Kanye is right about the Jews.” They also cited the Bible verses
Revelations 3:9 and John 8:44, which can easily be interpreted as deeming the Jewish
people to be liars belonging to the devil.

There were nine other documented instances of antisemitism in the same seven-day
period. Speaking with friends and peers across the world who share my Jewish lineage, I
have heard stories of their personal experiences of antisemitism. These incidents have
involved the presence of neo-Nazis on school campuses, threatening messages and even
physical attacks.

CNN also reported on Oct. 27 that Ye wanted to name his 2018 album “Hitler,” out of his
infatuation with the Nazi leader’s use of propaganda. His antisemitic agenda is nothing new.
Continuing to allow Ye so much power and influence in the publish sphere is going to end
terribly.

The world’s Jewish population stands at approximately 15 million people. That is about
0.18 per cent of the total world population. However, Jewish people are resilient and even
though we are few in numbers, the community is strong and will never be silenced.

Thankfully, companies and organizations have since cut ties and ended partnerships with
Ye. Since his tweet, he has lost his talent representation from Creative Artists Agency, his
lawyer Camille Vasquez and his bank J.P. Morgan Chase have both dropped him as a client
and both Balenciaga and Gap have cut all ties with him.

Most notably, Adidas, a company established by a member of the Nazi party, ended its
relationship with Ye on Oct. 25, concluding his billionaire status, citing zero tolerance for
antisemitic behaviour. His non-accredited Los Angeles private school, Donda Academy, also
suddenly closed its doors on Oct. 26.

This is ridiculous. Why is it that now, in 2022, there is still hatred for marginalized groups? We
have been living together as humans for hundreds of thousands of years and still, at a time when we
are the most virtually connected we have ever been, we are more separated than ever.