Kanye West apologises in Hebrew for past anti-Semitic outbursts

West’s apology follows reports the release of his new album, Vultures, has been delayed until January amid backlash against the comments. Photo / Getty Images

Kanye West issued an apology in Hebrew to “the Jewish community” on Tuesday for past anti-Semitic outbursts, saying he sought forgiveness and regretted any pain that his remarks had caused.

The rapper sparked outrage last year after posting a slew of remarks about Jews on social media that led to him being dropped by sponsors and suspended from X (formerly known as Twitter).

West’s apology follows reports that the release of his new album, Vultures, has been delayed until January amid a backlash to the comments.

“I sincerely apologise to the Jewish community for my unplanned 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 [sic],” he said in a statement posted on X and Instagram, where he has 18.2 million followers.

“I am committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future,” added West, who has changed his name to Ye.

The 46-year-old said forgiveness was important to him, adding that he was “committed to making amends and promoting unity.”

West was widely condemned after saying he was “going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE [sic]” in October 2022.

Erratic outbursts

The same month, he also appeared to accuse musician Sean “Diddy” Combs of being controlled by “the Jewish people” in another erratic outburst.

Two months later, he went further while appearing on noted conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ podcast.

“Every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler,” he said. “I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis.”

West later posted an image showing what appeared to be a swastika symbol inside a Star of David.

His rants led to major brands including Adidas and Gap cutting ties with the rapper and saw temporary restrictions imposed on his social media accounts.

The Anti-Defamation League advocacy group, which documents anti-Semitism, described the musician’s remarks as inflammatory and conspiratorial. It said he was directly referenced in 59 anti-Semitic incidents tracked by the group in 2022.

Jonathan Greenblatt, the organisation’s national director and chief executive, has previously called West a “vicious anti-Semite” and accused him of putting “Jews in danger”.

Although he avoided naming West, US President Joe Biden put out a statement condemning anti-Semitism shortly after the artist’s outbursts last year.

“The Holocaust happened. Hitler was a demonic figure,” Biden said.

West is now reportedly preparing to release his latest album after it was pushed back several times. It had originally been scheduled for release in October.

One of the album’s songs is thought to address the anti-Semitism furore and features West rapping the lyric “I ain’t anti-Semitic”.