I must admit, until Ye – the musician and designer formerly known as Kanye West – tweeted that he would “go death con 3 on Jewish people,” I wasn’t paying as much attention to the rise of antisemitism in this country as I should have. Shame on me.
Quick research shows that according to the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks antisemitic behavior in the US, there was a 37% rise in incidents in 2021 compared to the year before. That’s over 2,700 incidents – including assault, harassment, and vandalism – or roughly 7 per day.
One year ago this week, the American Jewish Committee chose the third anniversary of the tragic Tree of Life synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh by a white supremacist to release their stunning report on the rise of antisemitism in this country. Their findings are deeply disturbing…
- One in four American Jews say they have been targets of antisemitism in the last 12 months;
- Four in 10 American Jews have changed their behavior out of fear;
- Four out of 10 of all Americans have personally witnessed antisemitic incidents;
- And 82% of American Jews say antisemitism has risen over the last five years while only 44% of the general public believes that to be the case.
Sadly, the trend continues in 2022 with Ye just being the most recent and most public face of it.
But what is antisemitism?
In 2016, an intergovernmental organization called the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance agreed to adopt the following working definition: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews.”
Often referred to as the “oldest hatred,” antisemitism is a prejudice based on the false belief that Jews comprise a distinct, perhaps inferior race with inherent genetic traits. It’s also an attempt to reduce Jewish economic influence and is often based on the false notion that all Jews are wealthy or greedy and that somehow they are part of an evil conspiracy to dominate and control commerce, religion and politics.
At the Center for Respectful Leadership, we make it our business to call out bullies, haters, bigots, racists, misogynists and just about anyone, especially those with power and influence, who treats others with disrespect. We’re calling out Ye – who has used all sorts of antisemitic tropes and insults in his career – now. We, and many others, call on his sponsors and supporters to cut ties with him.
Apparently, powerful people are listening, because this week, according to the Washington Post, a number of Ye’s prominent sponsors and commercial partners, including Adidas, the Gap and JP Morgan, are breaking off their relationships with him. Whether this will be permanent remains to be seen.
Respectful Leaders refuse to look the other way when antisemitism rears its ugly head, as it seems to be doing increasingly these days. Let’s hope that there are enough Respectful Leaders heading up major corporations who have the courage to take a permanent, active stand and push antisemitism back into the dark, disgusting corners of hate from which it’s emerged.
Want to join in the fight against hate and intolerance? Consider making a donation to the ADL.
