Israel has reacted to Kanye West using the Hebrew greeting “Shalom” in the rapper’s first tweet since his account was reinstated.
“Shalom”, which broadly means “peace”, was posted by West on Monday (November 21) along with a smily face symbol.
The people behind what appears to be the state of Israel’s official Twitter account quote-tweeted Ye’s message and wrote: “We would very much like to be excluded from this narrative.”
It comes weeks after West made comments that were criticised as anti-Semitic.
We would very much like to be excluded from this narrative. pic.twitter.com/kkB5uVV7yf
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) November 21, 2022
Last month the entrepreneur vowed to go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE”, whom he claims have a link with Black people (“I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because Black people are actually Jew also”) before having his Twitter and Instagram accounts locked.
West has repeatedly denied that his comments were racist including saying that he doesn’t believe in the term “anti-Semitism” because he claims that it’s “not factual”. However he later offered some sort of apology in an interview with Piers Morgan, saying: “I’m sorry for the people that I hurt with the ‘death con’… I feel like I caused hurt and confusion”.
In October the former prime minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu somewhat dismissed Ye‘s recent remarks as “stupidities”, adding that Israel has “dealt with bigger problems”.
He suggested in an interview that West’s comments recalled racist tropes against Jewish people that “shouldn’t have any place in civilised discourse”.
Speaking to US political pundit Bill Maher, who asked him if Israel will take action over Ye, Netanyahu responded with a laugh: “We’ve dealt with bigger problems than these stupidities.”
Netanyahu continued: “But, you know, the communists blame the Jews for being capitalists, the capitalists blame the Jews for being communists. You have a problem, blame the Jews. It’s old stuff. It shouldn’t have any place in civilised discourse.”
Meanwhile, Kano Computing, the company that developed the Stem Player to allow fans to listen to and customise songs from West‘s ‘Donda’ albums, has severed ties with the rapper.
Kano’s move follows numerous other organisations and figures that have worked with West. Adidas recently cut ties with the star – so have his lawyer and booking agency. And Hollywood production company and financiers, MRC, has revealed that it has shelved a “recently completed” documentary about West.
Earlier this week Ye confirmed that he will again run for US presidency in 2024. He has enlisted alt-right voice Milo Yiannopoulos to assist with his campaign.
The rapper also said recently that he asked former US President Donald Trump to be his running mate.
West was a US presidential candidate in 2020 but went on to concede his run after winning 50,000 votes. At the time of his withdrawal he announced plans to run again in 2024.
The post Israel responds to Kanye West ‘Shalom’ tweet appeared first on NME.
