Rapper Kanye West has been suspended from Twitter after posting a tweet containing a swastika embedded in a Star of David.
Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced in a December 1 tweet that West’s account was going to be suspended for inciting violence by posting the swastika embedded in a Star of David.
Horrifying – a swastika embedded within a Jewish star.
Does Kanye West have to physically hurt a Jewish person before you act @elonmusk? pic.twitter.com/VUs1MdhK4o
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) December 2, 2022
I tried my best. Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account will be suspended.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 2, 2022
Musk received praise for suspending West from Twitter.
“We are relieved to see Elon Musk has suspended Kanye West from Twitter,” Stop Antisemitism tweeted. “We just hope this is permanent and not a temporary time out.”
We are relieved to see Elon Musk has suspended Kanye West from Twitter.
We just hope this is permanent and not a temporary time out. pic.twitter.com/rILnzkgsXK
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) December 2, 2022
Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY) similarly tweeted, “Kanye has been inciting violence long before posting the swastika, which he weaponized to desecrate the Star of David. It took a Nazi symbol for @elonmusk to finally see what was painfully obvious to the rest of us. Kanye shouldn’t be temporarily suspended but expelled for good.”
Kanye has been inciting violence long before posting the swastika, which he weaponized to desecrate the Star of David. It took a Nazi symbol for @elonmusk to finally see what was painfully obvious to the rest of us.
Kanye shouldn't be temporarily suspended but expelled for good.
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) December 2, 2022
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt thanked Musk in tweet for suspending West but called on the Twitter CEO “to take action on other hate-spreading accounts.” “Allowing extremists to use @Twitter to spread slander and intolerance could lead to increased harassment and bigotry on and off the platform,” Greenblatt wrote.
Thank you, @elonmusk, for suspending Ye. We urge you to take action on other hate-spreading accounts. Allowing extremists to use @Twitter to spread slander and intolerance could lead to increased harassment and bigotry on and off the platform. https://t.co/3x1cWMCRQK
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) December 2, 2022
Earlier in the day, West had praised the Nazis and Adolf Hitler in an interview with Alex Jones, resulting in widespread condemnation for spreading antisemitism.