LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 19: Joshua Malina arrives to the Scandal live stage reading of series finale to Benefit The Actors Fund held at El Capitan Theatre on April 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Tran/Getty Images) Actor Josh Malina, who is Jewish, asked in a July 7 tweet why what’s known as “cancel culture” doesn’t apply to anti-Semitism.
The Algemeiner reported that the tweet read: “Why’s it so hard to get cancel culture on the line when the problem is anti-Semitism?”
Why’s it so hard to get cancel culture on the line when the problem is antisemitism?
— – (@JoshMalina) July 7, 2020
Comedian Elon Gold chimed in, tweeting: “Nobody gets cancelled for hating Jews. From [Joseph] Goebbels to [Mel] Gibson.”
Nobody gets cancelled for hating Jews. From Goebbels to Gibson. https://t.co/7JL61KwMEw
— Elon Gold (@ElonGold) July 7, 2020
The Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) tweeted that it’s important to “unite together against all forms of hate,” adding that “only together can we defeat all forms of racism and bigotry.”
Unite together against all forms of hate. After recent events, actor @JoshMalina asks, “Why’s it so hard to get cancel culture on the line when the problem is antisemitism?”
Only together can we defeat all forms of racism and bigotry.https://t.co/gcVooe37va
— Creative Community for Peace (@CCFPeace) July 9, 2020
Malina’s tweet came after Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson came under fire for Instagram posts over the weekend sharing a disputed quote from Adolf Hitler and glorifying Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. The Eagles issued a statement on July 7 condemning Jackson’s posts.
“Regardless of his intentions, the messages he shared were harmful, offensive and appalling,” the statement read.
Malina tweeted, “‘Regardless of his intentions’? His intention was to quote Hitler in order to smear Jews.”
"Regardless of his intentions"? His intention was to quote Hitler in order to smear Jews. https://t.co/wiRHh1KXqP
— – (@JoshMalina) July 7, 2020
Jackson has since apologized.
“Cancel culture” refers to the increasing propensity for people to be rebuked if he or she expresses a viewpoint that people think is offensive.
Jonathan Tobin, editor-in-chief of Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), similarly asked in a June 19 op-ed why anti-Semitism seems to be absent from cancel culture, pointing out that actress Chelsea Handler received support from her colleagues after calling a clip of Farrakhan “powerful” in a June 15 Instagram post. Tobin also noted that the House of Representatives didn’t censor Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) after accusing supporters of Israel of having dual loyalty and that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) buys support for Israel in Congress.
“It says something truly ominous about our society and culture that questioning the BLM [Black Lives Matter] movement — even while avowing that, of course, black lives matter — can destroy a career, while endorsing anti-Semites and even engaging in Jew-hatred is not considered a big deal,” Tobin wrote. “We already know that the consequences of giving anti-Semites a pass can lead to horror. Apparently, those who pose as the supposedly enlightened guardians of our culture have either forgotten that or no longer care about it.”
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