Kanye West apologises in Hebrew on Instagram for antisemitic comments
Kanye West has apologised to the Jewish community in Hebrew for offensive comments he made in the past.
The US rapper, also known as Ye, took to Instagram and wrote in Hebrew: “I sincerely apologise to the Jewish community for my unappropriated outburst caused by my words or actions.
"I did not mean to hurt or disrespect and I regret the pain I may have caused.
"I'm commited to start learning from this experience and to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future.
"Your forgiveness is important to me and I am committed to fixing and promoting unity.”
Ye had been suspended from Instagram and X (Twitter) in October 2022 after he made antisemitic comments in interviews and social media.
A number of brands, including Adidas and Balenciaga, ended partnerships, and a completed documentary about Ye was even shelved.
The rapper came under fire after he said "I like Hitler" and repeated antisemitic tropes while being interviewed by right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
He made the comments after Jones said he did not deserve to be "demonised" by people calling him a "Nazi".
"I see good things about Hitler also," replied Ye.
To Mr Jones, he claimed to "love everyone" before repeating antisemitic conspiracy theories during the InfoWars outlet's interview.
Hours after the Infowars show aired, Ye was suspended from Twitter when he posted a photo of a swastika merged with the Star of David - just two weeks after being reinstated.
German sportswear maker Adidas has been trying to offload its Yeezy trainers and donate part of the profits to groups fighting antisemitism and other forms of hate.
Other companies to cut ties with Ye back in 2022 included Foot Locker, Gap, TJ Maxx, JPMorgan Chase bank and Vogue magazine.
Madame Tussauds in London said that it moved its wax figure of Ye from public view and into the museum’s archive.
Lizzo and John Legend were among the celebrities to call out Ye, with Legend tweeting on October 10: “Weird how all these ‘free, independent thinkers’ always land at the same old anti blackness and antisemitism.”
The severing of these ties caused West to lose his spot on the Forbes billionaires’ list in 2022 as the contract with the German sportswear company accounted for around $1.5 billion (£1.3 billion), according to the US business magazine.
Ye also courted controversy on social media after being photographed wearing a "White Lives Matter" t-shirt for his Yeezy collection at Paris Fashion Week in October 2022.
He has suggested that slavery was a choice and called the Covid vaccine the “mark of the beast,” among other comments.
Ye previously revealed he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which is described as a mental health condition that affects your moods, which can swing from one extreme to another.
His mother, Donda West, died in 2007 aged 58, following complications from cosmetic surgery and her death is said to have had a devastating impact on the rapper.
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