Back in October and November of 2022, I wrote a couple of articles about well-known musician and influencer Kanye West, legally known as Ye. In the first of these articles, titled “Ye’s deleted tweet glimpse of his antisemitism,” I argued that a series of social media posts from Ye would result in antisemitic violence and hate.
Ye basically threatened war against Jews and people in the comments sections of his posts were eating it up, using the influencer’s statements as justification for their own antisemitic ideas and actions.
The second article, which I called “The demise of Kanye West,” further proved my argument. On one hand, Ye was let go from brand deals and his management company but on the other, hate groups were using his name in antisemitic actions. For example, a hate group hung a sign over a busy freeway that read, “Kanye is right about the Jews.”
I, unwillingly, turned on post notifications for Ye so that I could catch anything that edged on discriminatory before it could be deleted. While I did not receive a notification for months, I was quick to screenshot his post and caption last week Saturday at 12:46 a.m. CST.
Pictured was the movie poster for 21 Jump Street starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. The photo’s caption read, “Watching Jonah Hill in 21 Jump street made me like Jewish people again[.] No one should take anger against one or two individuals and transform that into hatred for millions of innocent people[.] No Christian can be labeled antisemite knowing Jesus is Jew[.] Thank you Jonah Hill I love you.”
It is lovely to know that simply watching Jonah Hill can end antisemitic hate in a man. The comments section was shyer than I expected, with only a few swastikas and instances of hate speech toward Jews. However, what are the odds that Ye’s post will actually stop anyone who holds these sentiments from voicing, promoting or acting on anti-Jewish hatred?
There has been a rise in antisemitism over the past few months. The Anti-Defamation League reported that 2022 saw a 36 per cent increase in antisemitic acts across the U.S., and the most instances of antisemitic hate since the group began tracking them in the late ’70s. That’s scary.
I see the states as a sort of a “big sibling” to the rest of the world in the sense that, if the states can do it, we can too. With the increased antisemitism and the rise in fascist-driven legislation in the U.S. that appears to be aimed at eradicating anyone who doesn’t fit whatever “Christian values” may be, why is it surprising that hate for any other is also continual?
No amount of celebrity apologies can make that go away. If people have deep-rooted hatred and just one person says it’s okay, then what is holding anyone back?
Even the number of swastikas I’ve seen drawn in sharpie on bus benches or carved into random objects around Winnipeg makes me question my safety as a Jewish person in this city. The few but echoing antisemitic sentiments I hear around campus make me wonder if I should feel secure wearing my Magen David. I’d like to be proudly Jewish, but that’s a scary idea right now.
Ye made a big mistake that is not so easily reversible and came with plenty of consequences. As followers of any big personality, it is important to recognize when enough is enough and do what you can to take that platform away.
Don’t get me wrong, a Jonah Hill movie can fix a lot about a bad day, but a centuries-long hatred of a people is far from an easy fix. Understand that words mean things and actions mean things too. Make the world a place where we can all coexist.
