By Princess Jones, Religion Unplugged, November 1, 2022
(ANALYSIS) According to the controversial singer Ye, formerly called Kanye West, Black people are Jews. This part of his rhetoric is the strongest hint of where exactly his recent outpouring of antisemitism flows from.
Ye’s rhetoric has caused controversy and uproar in the past weeks, causing him to lose lucrative business deals with Adidas, Gap, Balenciaga, Foot Locker and many other brands that he had long-time relationships with. Twitter and Instagram blocked Ye’s accounts, and JPMorgan Chase dropped him as a banking client. As a result of the loss, Ye is no longer a billionaire, according to Forbes.
In recent years, Ye claims he has grown closer to God. In 2019, he came out with his “Jesus Is King” album showcasing to fans his newfound faith. Ye continued to talk about his faith in the 2021 album “Donda.” As he continued to speak about God, many assumed he was Christian, but what if Ye buried the lead?
Despite his affinity for Jesus, Ye’s comments about Jews, or the “real” Jews, has started to sound similar to what the Black Hebrew Israelites claim about Judaism.
In a tweet he posted on Oct. 8, Ye stated:
I’m a bit sleepy tonight, but when I wake up, I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE. The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also. You guys have toyed with me and tried to blackball anyone who opposes your agenda.
While Black Jews and Jews of color are genuine members of the Jewish faith, Ye has no known ethnic Jewish heritage.
Many Black Hebrew Israelites believe and teach that the real Jews are Black people and other people of color. They claim to have descended from the ancient Hebrew people as one of the 10 lost tribes of Israel mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Scholarly consensus criticizes this claim as historical revisionism.
Black Hebrew Israelites are known for their controversial street preaching to attract members. Some sects teach that modern-day Jews — as well as White, Asian and gay people — are imposters and evil. Not all Black Hebrew Israelites are antisemitic or extremist, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The Black Hebrew Israelite movement is divided into independent sects across the country.
Last year, Black Hebrew Israelites made national news for being linked to the fatal shooting of two Orthodox Jews in Jersey City, New Jersey, and for their role inciting the Covington Catholic standoff at the Lincoln Memorial initially misreported in the media.
Ironically, other hate groups have seemed to agree with Ye’s sentiments about Jewish people. In Los Angeles, white nationalists held a sign saying “Kanye is right about the Jews” along the freeway.
In a clip from an unaired portion of an interview with Tucker Carlson, Ye made a similar statement about being a Jew. Ye said:
Planned Parenthood was made by Margaret Sanger, known (eugenicist), with the KKK to control the Jew population. When I say Jew, I mean the 12 lost tribes of Judah, the blood of Christ, who the people known as the race Black really are. This is who our people are.
Ye doubled down on his comments about Jews in another interview with Chris Cuomo on “NewsNation,” saying, “Black people are all also Jew — I classify as Jew also — so I actually can’t be an antisemite. The term is actually not factual.”
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