Van Jones Apologizes To Jewish Community For His Silence Following Kanye West’s Antisemitism: ‘The Silence Is Over’

Van Jones has issued an apology to Jewish people following his silence regarding Kanye “Ye” West’s repeated antisemitism. Initially, the commentator caught hell when it was believed that he was weirdly apologizing on behalf of the entire Black community, a reporter on the scene however, said that that was untrue.

Source: Thos Robinson / Getty

During a speech at the United Jewish Appeal Federation of New York this week, Van Jones took the opportunity to apologize for “silence” over Kanye West’s antisemitism, including Ye’s recent praise of Hitler and Nazis.

“Van Jones apologized to the Jewish community ‘for the silence of my community’ allowing ‘an African American icon praising Hitler and Nazis, and we act like we don’t know where that hatred came from,'” reporter Jacob Kornbluh tweeted on Monday.

He continued:

“Ye, nah.. Ye, nah,” @VanJones68 repeats, sending a message to Kanye West, who changed his legal name to Ye, for spreading hate against Jews. Jones says, “You’re going to see a change going forward,” noting the historic relations between the Jewish and Black communities.”

“Ye, nah.. Ye, nah,” @VanJones68 repeats, sending a message to Kanye West, who changed his legal name to Ye, for spreading hate against Jews.

Jones says, “You're going to see a change going forward,” noting the historic relations between the Jewish and Black communities.

— Jacob Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) December 6, 2022

While many outlets were reporting that Jones was apologizing on behalf of the Black community for their “silence,” Kornbluh went on to clarify days later that Van did not apologize for alleged Black silence about Kanye, stressing that many in his community are speaking out about his behavior.

“In speech, he said he was sorry that he + others didn’t do more before Kanye,” Jacob tweeted. “Apologies for any confusion.”

CLARIFICATION: @vanjones68 did not apologize for alleged Black silence about Kanye.

To the contrary: he stressed that many in his community are speaking out forcefully.

In speech, he said he was sorry that he + others didn’t do more before Kanye.

Apologies for any confusion.

— Jacob Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) December 7, 2022

Jones has also responded to Kornbluh’s tweet and accepted his apology.

Thanks for the apology & correction, @JacobKornbluh.

If I HAD said Black folks weren’t holding Kanye/Ye accountable, that woulda been a lie—coz zillions of us HAVE condemned Ye. Let’s stick together and get louder vs hate. https://t.co/g6MUkIi1vM

— Van Jones (@VanJones68) December 7, 2022

 

 

 

“The reason this country is a democracy at all is because Black and Jewish people have loved each other, and helped each other, and supported each other, and stood up for each other,” Jones can be heard saying in another clip from the speech.

“We feel awful as long as we’re turning against each other,” he continued. “We feel awful. But when we come together, we’re awesome. And we’re going to be awesome together.”

When Black people and Jewish people get divided, democracy falters. When Black people and Jewish people come together, democracy advances. (That’s practically the ONLY time democracy advances.) https://t.co/6Q5ofeBncr

— Van Jones (@VanJones68) December 7, 2022

Despite the clarification, it’s too little too late as Van’s been blasted nonstop for his words.

Van Jones is no more spokesperson for black folks than Kanye West. Neither one of these folks can speak for me. https://t.co/qQ2lhYFehm

— Robert L. Reece, PhD (@PhuzzieSlippers) December 7, 2022

What Van Jones is not going to do is throw Black America under the bus. Black folks have been calling out Kanye West long before 2022.

Van is promoting a harmful and false narrative that Black people are silent about antisemitism when the facts prove the contrary. https://t.co/qNi5rjJEre

— Bryant Odega 🎅🏾 (@BryantOdega) December 7, 2022

 

On Kanye’s end, he hasn’t stopped with the antisemitic rhetoric.

Source: MEGA / Getty

Less than a week after he praised Adolf Hitler in an interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and white supremacist Nick Fuentes, the disgraced rapper sat down with Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes to demand that Jewish people “forgive Hitler.”

Ye began the interview by bragging that the backlash from his previous interview has been “awesome for a presidential campaign” going on to blame Jewish people for Hitler’s “reputation” and comparing abortion to “eugenics,” “genocide” and the “Holocaust.” He also reiterates his claims that “Jewish people control the majority of the media, along with banks, along with real estate, along with malls.”

After spending the interview denouncing the Jewish community–and, for some reason, women who haven’t given birth before the age of 30–Ye ended the interview by professing his love for “everyone.” He also alluded to his presidential campaign, which has yet to be filed, saying that “the rules of the country will be based on the bible” and that “we’re going to align the constitution with the bible.”

“Jewish people can’t tell me who I can love and who I can’t love,” he continued. “You can’t say, you can’t force your pain on everyone else. Jewish people, forgive Hitler today.”

YE INTERVIEW only on https://t.co/vycVy2U8Sbhttps://t.co/lg2lObIPUU

— Censored.TV (@censoreddottv) December 6, 2022