Rapper and actor Ice Cube, born O’Shea Jackson, responded to criticism of some of his recent social media posts being anti-Semitic, saying that he’s “been telling my truth.”
Among the recent tweets in question include a tweet of a Star of David with a Black Cube of Saturn — which is a symbol for occult worship — and an image of six old white men with hooked noses playing a board game on top of African American men. Ice Cube also tweeted out praise of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
The Honorable Louis Farrakhan continues to warn America to this very second and he’s labeled one of your “evil names” and you turn your ears off. Why is the truth so offensive that you can’t stand to hear it? pic.twitter.com/dhkMZTCyLQ
— Ice Cube (@icecube) June 11, 2020
Temple University professor Marc Lamont Hill, who was fired from CNN in 2018 after he called for a “free Palestine from the River to the Sea,” tweeted on June 10, “This is his [Ice Cube’s] second anti-Semitic post in a week. Conspiracy theories of Jewish global domination are textbook anti-Semitism.”
Sadly, no. This is his second antisemitic post in a week. Conspiracy theories of Jewish global domination are textbook antisemitism. https://t.co/2EACMnehVK
— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) June 10, 2020
Ice Cube tweeted in response, “What if I was just pro-Black? This is the truth brother. I didn’t lie on anyone. I didn’t say I was anti anybody. DONT BELIEVE THE HYPE. I’ve been telling my truth.”
What if I was just pro-Black? This is the truth brother. I didn’t lie on anyone. I didn’t say I was anti anybody. DONT BELIEVE THE HYPE. I’ve been telling my truth. https://t.co/1SnGaGacM9
— Ice Cube (@icecube) June 11, 2020
On June 10, actor Michael Rapaport defended Ice Cube on Twitter, stating: “Yo @icecube ain’t Anti-Semetic [sic]. He’s anti-asshole. Let the OG [original gangster] Disruptor Disrupt!”
Yo @icecube ain't Anti-Semetic. He's anti-asshole. Let the OG Disruptor Disrupt! https://t.co/aBbSqqjiU2
— MichaelRapaport (@MichaelRapaport) June 11, 2020
Ice Cube replied, “Someone who actually knows me.”
Someone who actually knows me. https://t.co/HgYwmS5CTZ
— Ice Cube (@icecube) June 11, 2020
Pro-Israel activist and international human rights lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky tweeted, “One can be pro-Black without also being a racist & anti-Semite, which is — sadly — the path you seem to be on. That only takes away from whatever good you are trying to achieve. Please listen to those well-intentioned people, who are merely trying to express these concerns to you.”
One can be pro-Black without also being a racist & Antisemite, which is – sadly – the path you seem to be on. That only takes away from whatever good you are trying to achieve. Please listen to those well intentioned people, who are merely trying to express these concerns to you.
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) June 11, 2020
Associate Dean and Director of the Ed Snider Social Action Institute of the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) Rabbi Abraham Cooper condemned the images Ice Cube has tweeted out.
“I was among the first to confront ICE CUBE on anti-Semitism many years ago for anti-Korean and anti-Semitic lyrics,” Cooper said in a statement. “A few years ago, the now famous actor and I met at an SWC event and felt that a page had been turned.”
However, “the latest spate of anti-Semitic tweets and his recent greetings to America’s godfather of anti-Semitism, Louis Farrakhan are deeply troubling, especially at a time when there is a clarion call from the streets of our nation for renewed steps to eradicate anti-Black racism — a call we wholeheartedly support,” he added. “But spewing hate against another minority, in this case Jews, is unconscionable, unwarranted, and in these times of crisis, downright dangerous.”
The American Jewish Committee tweeted, “.@icecube ‘people lose their minds’ because you’re spreading lies, not truth. At a critical inflection point to seek racial justice in our country, keep your anti-Semitic conspiracies to yourself.”
.@icecube “people lose their minds” because you're spreading lies, not truth.
At a critical inflection point to seek racial justice in our country, keep your antisemitic conspiracies to yourself.https://t.co/NjuYWxcj9U https://t.co/nYHHQG87RL
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) June 11, 2020
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