Kanye West has issued an apology in Hebrew to the Jewish community on social media for previous antisemitic comments – saying he “regrets any pain” he may have caused.
The 46-year-old rapper, who changed his name to Ye in 2021, made a series of antisemitic remarks last year which led to his Twitter (now X) account being suspended.
He had shared an image of a swastika entwined with a Star of David on the social media site and accused fellow musician Sean “Diddy” Combs of being controlled by “the Jewish people”.
And in an interview for Infowars, the far-right conspiracy theory website owned by Alex Jones, Ye had praised Adolf Hitler.
The apology posted on X and Instagram today read: “I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any unplanned outburst.
“It was not my intent to hurt or disrespect, and I very much regret any pain I may have caused.”
The message continued: “I am committed to begin with myself and to learn from this experience in order to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future.”
“Your forgiveness is important to me,” he wrote, adding that he was committed to making amends and advancing unity.
The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish NGO which documents antisemitism, had described the musician’s past remarks as inflammatory and conspiratorial.
It said he was directly referenced in 59 antisemitic incidents tracked by the group during 2022.
Read more:
What Kanye has said and how people have reacted
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Explained: Kanye West’s antisemitism controversy
After his slew of antisemitic comments, Ye went on to lose partnerships with Adidas and Gap for his Yeezy products.
The rapper has attracted additional controversies, too – including in 2022 when he used a racial slur against comedian Trevor Noah.
He also attracted criticism for wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt to his Yeezy collection show in Paris in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
