Biden Official Takes a Veiled Shot at Kanye: ‘Certain Celebrities’ are ‘Resorting to Antisemitic Tropes’
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A Biden administration official took a veiled shot at superstar rapper Kanye West on Wednesday.
Deborah Lipstadt, the administration’s ambassador for monitoring and combating anti-Semitism abroad, did not call out West by name, but her tweet comes after West has made anti-Semitic remarks late last week, on social media and in an interview with Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, and sharing a photo on Instagram with the caption “Jesus is Jew.” In a now-deleted tweet, West threatened to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, which combats anti-Semitism and educates the public about the Holocaust, tweeted on Tuesday, “Demonising, dehumanizing or stereotypical allegations about Jews, or the power of Jews as a collective, are common examples of harmful antisemitic tropes. With antisemitic incidents on the rise worldwide, these damaging myths have no place in our society.” The organization did not call out West nor anyone by name.
Demonising, dehumanizing or stereotypical allegations about Jews, or the power of Jews as a collective, are common examples of harmful antisemitic tropes. With antisemitic incidents on the rise worldwide, these damaging myths have no place in our society. https://t.co/uNfsqKCJ3t
— IHRA (@TheIHRA) October 11, 2022
Lipstadt retweeted the IHRA post and added, “@TheIHRA working definition of antisemitism provides a valuable tool for education people about antisemitism. With certain celebrities and others resorting to antisemitic tropes, such education is more urgent than ever.”
.@TheIHRA working definition of antisemitism provides a valuable tool for education people about antisemitism. With certain celebrities and others resorting to antisemitic tropes, such education is more urgent than ever. https://t.co/uoHu72mYcF
— Special Envoy Deborah Lipstadt (@StateSEAS) October 12, 2022
The working IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, which has been adopted by dozens of countries including the United States, reads, “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
