Biden calls silence of many against antisemitism amid Kanye West’s Hitler defence
Just one day after Kanye West, or Ye, went on a rant praising Adolf Hitler and Nazis, President Joe Biden called on political leaders to oppose antisemitism “wherever it hides.”
“I just want to make a few things clear: The Holocaust happened. Hitler was a demonic figure, And instead of giving it a platform, our political leaders should be calling out and rejecting antisemitism wherever it hides. Silence is complicity.”
Late Thursday, Ye posted an image to Twitter that portrayed a swastika within a Star of David, which is a violation of Twitter’s policy against “incitement to violence.” Ye’s suspension occurred just hours after he made a number of antisemitic statements during an interview with far-right provocateur Alex Jones. These statements included praise for Nazis and an admission that Ye recognised “good things” in Hitler.
When asked Friday who in particular Biden was addressing in his tweet condemning antisemitism, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded, “I don’t think it matters who in particular,” Biden was attempting to indicate that “this type of antisemitism” needs to be called out, she added.
Jean-Pierre told reporters on Air Force One, “We need to be very, very clear and condemn that, and that’s what you’re going to continue to hear from this president,”
Others with ties to the White House interpreted Trump’s statement as an attempt to counter political forces being elevated by Trump’s predecessor, who had dinner with white nationalist Nick Fuentes and Chinese-American political activist Ye before the Thanksgiving holiday.
According to Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America and a former advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris, “Biden is the single most important figure for the American Jewish community, fighting the scourge of antisemitism fueled and legitimised by his predecessor,” More extremists would be emboldened by Donald Trump if it weren’t for Joe Biden running for president to combat hate and redeem America’s soul.
Although Republicans had praised Ye for his Trumpism, his latest actions have earned the musician some criticism from their party. Republican Jewish Coalition denounced Jones’ interview with Ye, calling on conservatives “who have mistakenly indulged Kanye West” to make clear he is a “pariah,” while New York Rep. Lee Zeldin, one of the few Republican Jewish members of Congress, termed Ye a “deranged antisemite” in a statement.