“Friends” star David Schwimmer asked Elon Musk to ban Kanye West from X after the rapper posted a series of antisemitic tweets on the platform Friday.
“We can’t stop a deranged bigot from spewing hate filled, ignorant bile… but we CAN stop giving him a megaphone, Mr. Musk,” Schwimmer wrote on Instagram. “Kanye West has 32.7 million followers on your platform, X. That’s twice as many people than the number of Jews in existence. His sick hate speech results in REAL LIFE violence against Jews.”
West’s flurry of tweets included remarks like “I’m a Nazi” and “I love Hitler.” West went on to say that he is “never apologizing for my Jewish comments.”
In the hours that followed, the Anti-Defamation League, a non-governmental organization dedicated to fighting antisemitism, condemned the rant as “a flagrant and unequivocal display of hate.”
“We know this game all too well,” Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said in an official statement. “Let’s call Ye’s hate-filled public rant for what it really is: a sad attempt for attention that uses Jews as a scapegoat. But unfortunately, it does get attention because Kanye has a far-reaching platform on which to spread his antisemitism and hate. Words matter. And as we’ve seen too many times before, hateful rhetoric can prompt real-world consequences.”
The American Jewish Committee, a global advocacy group for the Jewish faith, also released a statement denouncing West’s comments.
“While some may dismiss his hateful rants, we cannot overlook the dangerous influence they can have on his millions of followers, particularly on social media, where a significant portion of today’s antisemitism thrives,” the AJC said. “Hate, left unchecked, only multiplies. At a time when antisemitism is skyrocketing to terrifying levels worldwide, Ye is actively endangering Jews. We urge others with a platform like Ye’s – particularly in the entertainment industry – to call out this blatant hatred.”
