After several anti-semitic comments going viral in recent years, Kanye West has now formally apologized to members of the Jewish community. The Hip-Hop recording artist posted a statement, written in Hebrew, on Instagram.
“I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions, it was not my intention to hurt or disrespect, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused,” Kanye West wrote.
The 46-year-old entertainer also added, “I am committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future.”
Kanye West then specifically asked for forgiveness, claiming it is “important” to him and that he wants to make amends and promote unity. This mea culpa comes after Ye recently went on another rant which included him mentioning Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and Zionists.
Several Jewish organizations, such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), condemned West in 2022. At the time, the G.O.O.D. Music label founder threatened to go “death con 3 on Jewish people.” He also began appearing with white nationalist Nick Fuentes.
Corporations like Gap and Adidas ended their business relationships with Kanye West following the backlash for his anti-semitic remarks. West is now preparing to release a collaborative album with R&B singer Ty Dolla $ign on January 12 called Vultures.
The “Vultures” titled track included a controversial line by West. On the song, he raps, “How I’m anti-semitic? I just f##### a Jewish b####.” In response, the ADL released a statement that read, “At a time of rising antisemitism worldwide, it’s disgusting to see Kanye once again use his platform to spew Jew hatred.”