Rapper and actor Ice Cube has tweeted out several memes in recent days that have been criticized as anti-Semitic.
On June 10, Ice Cube (born O’Shea Jackson) tweeted out a Jewish Star of David with what appeared to be a Black Cube of Saturn. The Forward described the symbol as “a reference to occult worship.” The Daily Beast similarly described it as a reference “to a cult of Satan worshippers.”
https://twitter.com/icecube/status/1270752897899229184?s=20
Also on June 10, the rapper tweeted an image stating, “Hebrew Israelities [were] slaves in Ancient Egypt. Clearly they are a black people.” The Forward noted that the image “may be a reference to the idea, shared among some members of the Hebrew Israelite religion, that black people — not present-day Jews — are the true descendants of biblical Israelites.”
— Ice Cube (@icecube) June 10, 2020
Creative Community for Peace Director Ari Ingel said in a statement to the Journal, “It’s disturbing to see a cultural icon who is a such a powerful voice for social justice in the Black community fail to understand the impact his words and the images he shares have on the Jewish community, especially when anti-Semitism is on a steady rise in America where it has turned increasingly violent. We stand with the Black community in their fight for justice and change in America, but fighting racism with anti-Semitism is unacceptable.”
Others in the Jewish community condemned the memes on Twitter.
“This is not fighting racism — this is inciting it,” British pro-Israel researcher David Collier tweeted to Ice Cube. “You are vile.”
This is not fighting racism –
this is inciting it.You are vile.
— David Collier (@mishtal) June 10, 2020
Adam Serwer, a writer for The Atlantic, tweeted, “Conspiracy theories allow their proponents to flatter themselves into thinking base prejudices are but marks of intellectual sophistication. Even so, ‘cubes are symbols of Jewish control’ reaches a new frontier of stupid when offered by a guy best known as … Ice Cube.”
Conspiracy theories allow their proponents to flatter themselves into thinking base prejudices are but marks of intellectual sophistication. Even so, “cubes are symbols of Jewish control” reaches a new frontier of stupid when offered by a guy best known as … Ice Cube. https://t.co/icds6YCiLu
— Adam Serwer 🍝 (@AdamSerwer) June 10, 2020
Tablet senior writer Yair Rosenberg quipped, “I told the conspiracy we should have used septagons instead, but they didn’t listen and now we’re busted.”
https://twitter.com/Yair_Rosenberg/status/1270794188809015296?s=20
Ice Cube had previously come under fire for a June 6 tweet of an image showing six old white men with hook noses playing a board game over several black and brown men. One of the white men is counting cash. The image had been painted as a mural in London, but was subsequently taken down because of complaints about the image being anti-Semitic.
https://twitter.com/icecube/status/1269277079914209282?s=20
The Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted, “Shame, two years ago we met with @icecube to turn a new page. Now when it counts, instead of using his notoriety to promote peace in a fractured America he regresses to classic #antiSemitic tropes.”
Shame, two years ago we met with @icecube to turn a new page. Now when it counts, instead of using his notoriety to promote peace in a fractured America he regresses to classic #antiSemitic tropes.
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) June 9, 2020
Pro-Israel activist and human rights lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky tweeted, “Hi @icecube. I have tremendous respect for you as an artist and champion for peace & tolerance. But the image you shared, even as cropped, is strongly anti-Semitic. As a role model fighting racism today, would strongly urge you to please withdraw.”
Hi @icecube. I have tremendous respect for you as an artist and champion for peace & tolerance. But the image you shared, even as cropped, is strongly Antisemitic. As a role model fighting racism today, would strongly urge you to please withdraw.https://t.co/FfHwUPpLlz
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) June 6, 2020
According to Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), Ice Cube expressed concern about the table in the tweet; he has not taken down the tweet.
Additionally, in May, Ice Cube tweeted out a photo of himself with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan; Ice Cube wished Farrakhan a happy birthday. Farrakhan’s past statements include “I’m not an anti-Semite, I’m anti-termite” and that “Jews are part of ‘the Synagogue of Satan.”
I’d like to wish a Happy Birthday to the Honorable Minister Farrakhan pic.twitter.com/lH2Lc2uuIE
— Ice Cube (@icecube) May 11, 2020
