Prior to the recent spike in antisemitism following the events of Oct. 7, rapper Kanye West had made multiple antisemitic comments, among them the threat to go “deathcon 3 on the JEWISH PEOPLE,” which he said on X, formerly known as Twitter, in October of 2022. At the time, his offensive comments stood out; antisemitism wasn’t as widespread of an issue as it is now. However, the absurdity of his remark discredited him and his statement, and many people regarded it as a joke. 

Following his comment, Kanye’s social media presence dwindled, and his brand deals were cut. On Dec. 26, 2023, Kanye posted an apology to Instagram. Unlike any public apology issued before, Kanye wrote his in Hebrew. The irony is what makes me the least concerned about Kanye’s social media presence.

While I neither believe it is okay to give someone a ‘pass’ for such horrendous behavior, nor forgive Kanye for his targeted and harmful tweet, I think it is important to acknowledge his attempt to apologize. But the absurdity of writing an apology in Hebrew discredits any statement he ever made, essentially turning it all into a joke. By no means is it acceptable to make such hurtful comments, especially with Kanye’s platform; furthermore, his apology proves how absurd everything he has said is. I condemn his statement and all statements like it.

His tweet, however, cannot be compared to recent displays of antisemitism on social media. Following the attacks of Oct. 7, many high-profile people have posted disturbing anti-Israel statements, and unlike Kanye’s posts, these posts hold real significance. Politicians, political organizations, and notoriously provocative celebrities pose a much larger risk of influencing the general public on social media. An example of this is Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s remark, which said, “AIPAC is racist and bigoted.” It is so easy to laugh at Kanye. While his statements are offensive, the irony proves they can’t be taken seriously; other posts should be our primary concern.