The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has released a report linking Kanye West’s “bigoted rants” to 30 antisemitic incidents. In the report, which the organization published on Monday, they cite acts of vandalism, banner drops, harassment, and more. Additionally, the ADL pointed out a rise in antisemitic posts on Twitter, following Elon Musk’s takeover of the site. According to the report, there have been over 9,400 Twitter mentions using the “Ye Is Right” slogan since October.
“These incidents — which include vandalism, banner drops, targeted harassment and campus propaganda distributions — demonstrate the ongoing influence of Ye’s conspiratorial, bigoted rants,” the ADL wrote. “Immediately following Ye’s antisemitic comments, which included inflammatory tropes about Jewish power and Holocaust denial, the slogan ‘Ye Is Right’ surfaced online in hashtags and antisemitic accounts. The ADL Center on Extremism has also tracked references to ‘Ye Is Right’ in instances of on-the-ground antisemitic vandalism and harassment nationwide.”
The “Ye is Right” Campaign
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt elaborated on the report in a statement provided to Billboard. “Kanye West’s repeated antisemitic remarks – and his dredging up some of the worst anti-Jewish tropes imaginable – doubtlessly are having an impact and inspiring people to commit real-world acts of hate,” Greenblatt said. “As we have long maintained, celebrities and others who engage in spreading hateful tropes need to know their words have consequences. Unfortunately, Kanye’s decision to continue to peddle hatred against Jews is only giving encouragement to people who are already infected with hate.”
As for specific incidents, many happened at K-12 schools, universities, Jewish institutions, as well as public areas and commercial locations. At universities, a group of white supremacists hosted a series of “Ye is right, change my mind” meetings. Further, someone wrote “Kanye was right” and “Defcon III” on a sidewalk on the University of Wisconsin campus.
Kanye West recently appeared on the show, InfoWars, at which time he praised Adolf Hitler. Ye remarked that he sees “good things about Hitler.” West has also lost numerous business partners as a result of the comments, reportedly dropping him from his billionaire status. Adidas reportedly lost over a billion dollars in revenue for 2023.
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