By Dr Sheree Trotter on the Israel Institute of NZ…
If you’re not into rap music, you’d be forgiven for not knowing the name Kanye West (also known as Ye). He’s a critically acclaimed artist and regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time, with over 160 million records sold and 24 Grammy Awards. He’s been married to Kim Kardashian, has claimed to be a Christian and apparently has mental health issues.
Over the past few weeks Ye has made a range of antisemitic comments in interviews and on social media. While this might not seem newsworthy in itself, the fact that he has around 50 million followers on various social media platforms makes this a matter of concern.
Last weekend, emboldened by Ye’s hateful rhetoric, supporters were photographed on a freeway overpass in Los Angeles, giving Nazi salutes and displaying banners referencing antisemitic comments made by Ye and Bible verses while urging cars to honk in support.
Sadly, New Zealand is not immune from these pernicious influences.
A recent New Zealand report published by a human rights group found that two-thirds of New Zealand Jews said that they had experienced antisemitism on social media in the past three years…
Read the full article on the Israel Institute of NZ website here.
