Kanye West ‘sincerely’ apologises to Jewish community
By Hannah Roberts, PA Entertainment Reporter
Kanye West has apologised “sincerely” to the Jewish community for “any pain I may have caused” after he made a string of antisemitic remarks.
West, 46, the ex-husband of socialite and businesswoman Kim Kardashian, apologised more than a week after a video was released in which he was seen ranting about Jewish people.
In recent years the American songwriter and producer, who now refers to himself as Ye, has hit the headlines for making antisemitic remarks, and in the recent clip, obtained by TMZ, he made a series of incoherent statements, including references to Jews and Zionists.
A post shared by Ye (@kanyewest)
On Tuesday he wrote on Instagram in Hebrew (as translated by Google): “I sincerely apologise to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions.
“It was not my intention to hurt or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused.”
He added: “Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity.”
This message, written in the official language of Israel, is the only post on the celebrity’s Instagram page.
In light of antisemitic remarks he had made in 2022, German sports brand Adidas ended its years-long partnership with him in October that year.
In a statement the company said: “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech.”
West praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler while in conversation with US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in December 2022, saying: “I like Hitler.”
Shortly afterwards, his account on X, formerly Twitter, was suspended for violating the platform’s policy against inciting violence.
He had posted a series of erratic tweets, one of which appeared to show a symbol combining a swastika and a Jewish star.
After an almost eight-month suspension, West’s account was reinstated on the platform, owned by Tech billionaire Elon Musk.