New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has come to the defence of Whoopi Goldberg who got suspended from the ABC show “The View” for her comment that the Holocaust was “not about race”.
Speaking to TMZ, Ms Ocasio-Cortez said: “Whenever there is a moment like this, a learning moment like this, what is super important is the relationship between that person and the community they are making amends with.”
“Last I read Jonathan Greenblatt who is the head of the Anti-Defamation League which is a champion for fighting anti-Semitism across the country, he accepted her apology and I think we take the Jewish community’s lead on this and they seem to see that her apology was authentic and want to move on and heal.”
On Tuesday, ABC suspended Goldberg for two weeks from the show for “her wrong and hurtful comments”.
Goldberg has since issued an apology which has been accepted by Mr Greenblatt who was a guest on the show.
In a tweet he said that he deeply appreciates Goldberg for inviting him on the show to “have an important discussion on the importance of educating about the Holocaust. Whoopi has been a long-time ally of the Jewish community and ADL and her apology is very much welcome”.
Goldberg had said on the show: “Let’s be truthful about it because the Holocaust isn’t about race. No. It’s not about race!”
She tried to reiterate her point that that the Holocaust was instead about “man’s inhumanity to man” despite her co-hosts interjecting to remind her that Jews in Nazi Germany were considered “a different race”.
“But you’re missing the point! You’re missing the point,” Goldberg said.
“The minute you turn it into race, it goes down this alley. Let’s talk about it for what it is. It’s how people treat each other. That’s the problem.”
