David Baddiel has voiced his concern over Kanye West’s recent series of anti-semetic attacks
(Picture: ES Composite)Jewish author and comedian David Baddiel has issued a warning about "actively dangerous voices" such as Kanye West being allowed on social media.
The rapper, 45, is currently suspended from Twitter for tweeting an image of a swastika hours after praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.
Speaking to Sky News presenter Beth Rigby ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day on Friday, Baddiel, a father-of-two, said: “Kanye says unbelievably anti-Semitic stuff. Drawing on very, very ancient antisemitic tropes. One key thing about what Kanye says, is that antisemitism is often seen by people as punching up.
“So they don’t see it as racism, because what they see is that Jews are powerful. So Kanye will say things like, Jews are in control of the music business, I’m finally throwing off the shackles of how Jews won’t let me speak about this, because they’re in control.
“He then says, I’m going to go DEFCON three on them all. But it comes from a sense of, this is a rebel yell against a race that is controlling us, and the problem with that is it doesn’t sound like a far-right person saying ‘look at these scum, I’m just going to kill them’. It sounds like someone fighting the good fight. And that is actually what Hitler, who Kanye has said he’s an admirer of, that is also how Hitler sounded to some people”.
The Baddiel & Skinner star didn’t hold back either when asked his opinion on Elon Musk allowing the Stronger hit-maker back onto Twitter after he bought the platform, despite a previous suspension for antisemitism.
Baddiel said: “Kanye being let back onto that platform seems to be part of Elon Musk trying to make the platform less dominated by the progressive left. I’m not bothered about those arguments. I’m bothered about what is dangerous for Jews. What is dangerous for my children.” Baddiel added: “I do think it’s dangerous. I think it’s actively dangerous.
“The point is these are very, very powerful voices. Kanye, because he’s a brilliant hip hop artist, has got a really powerful voice.”
Asked whether he believed West - who officially changed his name to “Ye” in 2021 - is racist, Baddiel gave a considered response, saying: “I think what he said is antisemitic. And I think antisemitism is racism. Yes.”
