Apology of the day

[yankeedoodle]

A rapper wears an anti-Nazi shirt, but, because the shirt has a swastika, the jews go into their typical hysterics, and get the grovelling apology they crave. 

"I'm sorry to anyone who is offended by me wearing an anti-fascist/anti-regime t-shirt and the use of the symbol it represents. I want you to know I stand firmly against antisemitism and fascism of any kind, something the t-shirt was meant to illustrate with the word "destroy" above the symbol."
https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-115/rapper-apologizes-for-wearing-swastika-shirt-at-montreal-music-festival

[yankeedoodle]

Oh, dear, what do we have here?  Of course, whatever you see, the jews see a swastika, and as soon as they start bitching, everybody has to apologize.   


Virginia school district apologizes for logo that resembles swastika
https://www.jta.org/2022/08/04/united-states/virginia-school-district-apologizes-for-a-swastika-like-logo

[abduLMaria]

Maybe TIU could collaborate on a Consumer Product, like a Box Fan - with 4 large blades.

Then silk-screen a Swastika on the blades.

Just to upset the Parasites.

Maybe include a history booklet, acknowledging that Hitler & the Nazi's were instrumental in destroying a Gentile wonderland - 1934 Germany, Germany under Hindenburg.

[yankeedoodle]

UN investigator apologizes for 'Jewish lobby' remark and other comments deemed antisemitic
https://www.jta.org/2022/08/05/israel/un-investigator-apologizes-for-jewish-lobby-remark-and-other-comments-deemed-antisemitic

A United Nations investigator has apologized for recently using the phrase "Jewish lobby" and suggesting that Israel could lose its U.N. membership, comments that drew widespread condemnation, including from U.S. officials.

Miloon Kothari sent an apology letter on Thursday to Federico Villegas, head of the U.N. Human Rights Council, for statements he made during a podcast interview last week with the anti-Zionist Mondoweiss site.

Kothari is a member of the Human Rights Council's commission to investigate human rights abuses in the Occupied Palestinain Territories that was formed following Israel-Gaza violence in the spring of 2021.

In the interview, he said, "We are very disheartened by the social media that is controlled largely by – whether it is the Jewish lobby or specific NGOs, a lot of money is being thrown into trying to discredit us, but the important thing is our mandate is based on international human rights and humanitarian standards and that we are all seeking the truth."

He added that "the Israeli government does not respect its own obligations as a U.N. member state. They, in fact, consistently, either directly or through the United States, try to undermine U.N. mechanisms."

At the time, the head of the commission, Navi Pillay, defended Kothari's comments as being taken out of context. Deborah Lipstadt, the State Department's special envoy on antisemitism, and Michèle Taylor, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Council, both condemned Kothari's rhetoric.

"We are outraged by recent antisemitic, anti-Israel comments made by a member of the Israel COI," Taylor tweeted last week.

In his letter sent Thursday, Kothari wrote that "It was completely wrong for me to describe the social media as 'being controlled largely by the Jewish lobby.' This choice of words was incorrect, inappropriate, and insensitive."

Israel, which has refused to participate in the U.N. commission's inquiry, was unsatisfied with Kothari's apology. A deputy director general at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the statement "pitiful" and "unconvincing."

[yankeedoodle]

Abbas calls Holocaust the 'most heinous crime' after drawing criticism for accusing Israel of 'Holocausts'
https://www.jta.org/2022/08/18/israel/abbas-calls-holocaust-the-most-heinous-crime-after-drawing-criticism-for-accusing-israel-of-holocausts

Under fire for accusing Israel of "50 Holocausts," Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas walked back his statement, calling the Holocaust "the most heinous crime in modern human history."

Abbas released the statement on Wednesday through the Palestinian Wafa news agency.

He had come under sharp criticism from U.S., Israeli and German officials for accusing Israel of carrying out "50 Holocausts" against the Palestinians during a press conference in Germany on Tuesday, standing alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

A German reporter had asked Abbas whether the Palestinian Authority would apologize on the 50th anniversary of the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. The Palestine Liberation Organization, which is intertwined with the Palestinian Authority, carried out the massacre.

Abbas' statement came after Hussein Al-Sheikh, the current PLO secretary-general had a "difficult" conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, according to Israeli reporter Noga Tarnopolsky.

Scholz drew criticism for not calling out Abbas in real time but subsequently decried the comment.

[yankeedoodle]

He has issued a statement reported on by Italian-language media in which he says he has "never made fun of the tragedy of the Holocaust, as some media outlets would like to believe with pre-election mastery in these hours."

Right-wing Italian councillor suspended over Holocaust joke
A Brothers of Italy councillor has been suspended from the party after he appeared to make humorous remarks about the Holocaust.
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/right-wing-italian-councillor-suspended-over-holocaust-joke-5R2tYwWZdqPGWRXxc3QzwU?reloadTime=1660935441872

An Italian politician has been suspended by his party after he appeared to make humorous remarks about the Holocaust.

38-year-old Naples councillor Giorgio Longobardi of the Brothers of Italy made the comments via Facebook. He joked that Italy's left-wing Democratic Party wishes to broadcast films relating to the Holocaust films on television until the 25 September election to "avert the danger of 'fascism''".

He said that films including Schindler's List, Anne Frank's Diary, The Pianist and Life is Beautiful would be broadcast in the lead-up to next month's poll and that they would be "interspersed with insights and testimonies from the Holocaust survivors."

Longobardi was quickly suspended and is now subject to an inquiry.

He has issued a statement reported on by Italian-language media in which he says he has "never made fun of the tragedy of the Holocaust, as some media outlets would like to believe with pre-election mastery in these hours."

He argued that the post "is aimed only at highlighting the means that the left uses in the electoral campaign," and claims to have been involved in a 15-year-long project with another councillor to oversee a scholarship "to keep alive the memory of the massacre of the Shoah and the Martyrs of the Foibe, destined for the students of the Falcone di Pianura school. All completely at our expense."

The Foibe Massacres were a series of mass killings of mostly ethnic Italians in 1943 after Yugoslav partisans occupied parts of northeast Italy, Istria, and Dalmatia.

"For these reasons, I do not accept lessons on these issues from anyone, especially from those who systematically throw mud on the FDI and do not see a PD allied with Fratoianni, who represents the left that claims that Israel is a state that "dances on corpses," Longobardi continued.

The Italy-Israel Federation and Naples' Jewish community said in a joint statement that they were "lost for words" over Longobardi's post which they argued was: "offensive to the memory of six million Jews". The statement went on to say that the groups were not surprised by Longobardi's comments, claiming that he allegedly "plastered his office" with posters praising Italy's former fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

The statement also said the incident evidenced the "arrogant" fascist and antisemitic opinions within the Brothers of Italy party.

Last week the party's leader Giorgia Meloni, said Italy's right-wing had "handed fascism over to history for decades now," and that her party "unambiguously condemns the suppression of democracy and the ignominious anti-Jewish laws".

Speaking last Wednesday, Meloni emphasised her party's "shared values and experience" with Israel's Likud party, the British Conservatives, and US Republicans.

During a National Conservatism conference in Rome in 2020, Meloni said that "modern national conservatives... defend – without the shameful ambiguity typical of the Left – the right of the State of Israel to its security and a future of peace and prosperity."

Most of the party's leadership, including Chamber of Deputies member Meloni, were previously involved with the National Alliance party that merged into The People of Freedom party in 2009. The National Alliance was founded as the heir to the post-fascist Italian Social Movement, founded in 1946 by supporters of the former wartime dictator.

Earlier this week Meloni faced criticism after footage of her being interviewed as a 19-year-old activist emerged in which she is recorded as saying: "I believe Mussolini was a good politician. Everything he did, he did for Italy. There have not been other politicians like him in the past 50 years."

The party also faced criticism in May after officials were spotted dining at a Milanese restaurant where images and effigies of Benito Mussolini were on display.

Less than five years ago Meloni's party was viewed as winning just 4.4 per cent of the vote in 2018's general election. However recent opinion polls show FdI stands to gain almost a quarter of Italian votes. This would put Meloni on the path to prime ministership should she be successful in leading a coalition with Matteo Salvini's Northern League and Silvio Berlusconi's Forward Italy parties respectively.

[yankeedoodle]

Kari Lake, GOP nominee for Arizona governor, denounces endorsee's statement that Jews are 'evil'
https://www.jta.org/2022/08/22/politics/kari-lake-gop-nominee-for-arizona-governor-denounces-endorsees-statement-that-jews-are-evil

Kari Lake, the Republican nominee for Arizona governor, said she would withdraw her endorsement of a candidate for Oklahoma's state senate if she verifies that he made a series of antisemitic statements.

Lake told Axios on Monday that the military record of Jarrin Jackson, a candidate running for Oklahoma's state senate, had persuaded her to give him her endorsement, but she said that she was not aware of his statements on Jews and LGBTQ people, which she denounced.

Media Matters, a liberal media watchdog, found postings by Jackson to Telegram, a social media site favored by some far-right groups, in which he declares that he is not "beholden" to Jews, and repeats conspiracy theories about the Rothschilds, the Jewish family that has for centuries been a focus of antisemitic tropes.

In one entry, Jackson faulted a Christian film for not naming what he considers to be threats to Christianity.

"Outline and detail the evil. Amen," Jackson wrote. "The Jews. Illuminati. Covid shots kill. Rothschilds. Communists. Woke pastors. Social gospel. Christ will chuck a bunch of stuff in the fire."

Lake told Axios' local Phoenix newsletter that Jackson's record in Afghanistan impressed her, but she was not able to do a deep dive into his beliefs.

"It is impossible to dig into everything someone has said in their life," she said in a statement. "If his reported comments are true, I obviously rescind my endorsement. I respect Jarrin's service to our Nation, but clearly denounce that kind of derogatory language. Let me be clear: Our great movement welcomes anyone and everyone who wants to fight for a better future."

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix last week called on Lake and Mark Finchem — the Republican nominee for Arizona secretary of state who has also supported Jackson — to rescind their endorsements.

"We are judged by our relations, and the company we keep," said Paul Rockower, the JCRC's executive director. "There is no room for support for antisemitic bigots from those who want to lead Arizona."

Finchem has not responded to calls to denounce Jackson.

Lake last month rejected the endorsement of Andrew Torba, the antisemitic founder of Gab, a social media site favored by extremists that was used by the antisemitic gunman who killed 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018.

Finchem welcomed Torba's endorsement. So did Arizona State Sen. Wendy Rogers, who has also endorsed Jackson. Rogers is known for her own forays into antisemitic rhetoric, and the JCRC's Rockower said it was not worth making any requests of her.

"We are further disgusted by Wendy Rogers' endorsements of Jackson," he said in an email. "We are not going to bother asking Rogers to rescind her endorsement or issue a denunciation because her antisemitism is well-documented — we know who she is, and what she stands for."

[yankeedoodle]

San Francisco city council candidate apologises for calling Jewish journalist a Nazi
There are calls for Leanna Louie to quit the race for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
https://www.thejc.com/news/world/san-francisco-city-council-candidate-apologises-for-calling-jewish-journalist-a-nazi-4JqcLbJiOwYCrSAvpuXcpl?reloadTime=1661527317790

A candidate for the city government of San Francisco has apologised after mocking the name of a Jewish journalist, using the word "Nazi".

Leanna Louie – a candidate for District 4 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors – had referred to Joe Eskenazi, the managing editor of local news site Mission Local, as "EskeNAZI", triggering outrage.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday night, Louie reportedly apologised for the post, and in a post on Thursday, she repeated the apology, although continued to dispute the accuracy of his reporting.

In the offending post, Louie compared her experience being interviewed by local radio station KQED with previous conversations with Eskenazi.

Louie is facing questions from journalists and city electoral officials over whether is resident in the disctrict where she is standing for election, and whether she voted in that district illegally. Elections Department director John Arntz has referred her to the District Attorney for alleged voter fraud.

In the post, Louie wrote: "It was so nice to talk to a journalist who actually had a dialogue with me. Unlike Joe EskenNAZI who called me and talked over me and didn't even write any of my responses."


Screenshot 2022-08-26 at 12.33.26
The original post by Leanne Louie (Image: Screenshot/Facebook)

She then used the capitalisation a second time when she went on to claim that Eskenazi had "called his friends and members" of Weather Underground, which is a defunct militant group formed in 1969, in order to "validate his points".

The post triggered outrage and condemnation from across the city, some of whom called on her to withdraw from the race.

San Francisco Examiner reporter Gil Duran wrote on Twitter: "How toxic are San Francisco politics? Time to end the campaign, Leanna."

Aaron Peskin, supervisor for District 3, told Mission Local that Louie's comments are "the musings of a crazy person who is not fit to take public office."

He added that he had "never seen this kind of racist, antisemitic behaviour from anybody in, or running for, public office in San Francisco, in the quarter of a century I have been involved in local politics."

https://twitter.com/HamasakiLaw/status/1562459338857259013?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1562459338857259013%7Ctwgr%5Ecd933d940517c2fd1d55dd3d0abc5b082ccc6eba%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fsan-francisco-city-council-candidate-apologises-for-calling-jewish-journalist-a-nazi-4JqcLbJiOwYCrSAvpuXcpl%3FreloadTime%3D1661527317790

Incumbent District 4 supervisor Gordon Mar said that Louie's "shocking antisemitic and hateful comments are absolutely unacceptable. She should immediately apologize to Joe Eskenazi and to the elections experts for her absurd and inflammatory remarks."

District Attorney candidate John Hamasaki tweeted: "Hate has no place in San Francisco. No matter whether it is anti-Semitic, anti-Black, or anti-Asian, it is tearing our city apart.

"I condemn this hate speech in the strongest terms and call on Leanna Louie to withdraw from the race for supervisor."

California State Senator Scott Weiner said that it was "deeply harmful to use the word 'Nazi' to refer to anyone who isn't an actual Nazi, particularly when directed at a Jew."

He added: "The actual Nazis killed 6 million Jews & millions others. Their lives are devalued by this kind of rhetoric."

In her apology post, Louie stated that she was expressing "frustration with Joe's barrage of news articles in a highly insensitive, inappropriate and uncharacteristic manner."

She went on to say that the "formatting of his surname was in poor taste and I want to sincerely apologize to Joe Eskenazi, his family, and the Jewish community."

However, she continued her attacks on Eskenazi's journalism in Facebook and Twitter posts on Wednesday following a TV interview, writing: "Thank You KTVU2 and Amber Lee for fair reporting and the chance to extend a hand of friendship and apology to Joe Eskenazi.  I appreciate the opportunity to explain why I will be on the November 2022 Ballot.

https://twitter.com/LeannaLouieD4SF/status/1562819355133431808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1562819355133431808%7Ctwgr%5Ecd933d940517c2fd1d55dd3d0abc5b082ccc6eba%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fsan-francisco-city-council-candidate-apologises-for-calling-jewish-journalist-a-nazi-4JqcLbJiOwYCrSAvpuXcpl%3FreloadTime%3D1661527317790

"I issued an apology for my Facebook post directing frustration at Joe Eskenazi for writing half truths about me and requested to meet with him in person, but he declined. I offered to provide a timeline of my residency and evidence, but he did not accept any of the evidence? Why is Joe Ezkenazi avoiding to report on the whole truth?"

Eskenazi himself said: "I am used to stuff like this, ever since grade school, when they teach non-Jews what the Holocaust is."

[yankeedoodle]

Aviv Geffen, icon of Israeli left, apologizes during West Bank concert for denouncing settlers
https://www.jta.org/2022/08/30/israel/aviv-geffen-icon-of-israeli-left-apologizes-during-west-bank-concert-for-denouncing-settlers

Israeli rock star Aviv Geffen, a symbol of the country's left, announced during a recent concert in the West Bank that he regretted his past criticism of settlers living there — whom he had long denounced as obstacles to peace.

"It's very moving to be here. I went through a personal journey that was not simple and not short and I understand that me and my brothers — you — were made to separate for any number of reasons including my ignorance, which came from a desire to please part of my audience," Geffen said during a concert Aug. 24 in Beit El, the settlement championed by David Friedman, the Trump administration's former ambassador to Israel.

"I spoke from ignorance and I did not understand the other," Geffen added. "I've matured and I want to ask your genuine forgiveness from my heart."

Geffen's West Bank concerts and comments offer a potent sign that the settlements, seen internationally as a barrier to peace and considered illegal under international law, have become politically mainstream in Israel.


That was not the case in 1995, when Geffen vaulted into international view after he was the last person to embrace Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin before Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing extremist angry that he had agreed to give up parts of the West Bank in an attempt to make peace with the Palestinians. The assassination took place at a Tel Aviv concert organized by Rabin's liberal supporters, including Geffen.

Geffen said his fundamental beliefs had not changed. "I remained on the left, but a man who doesn't know how to make peace within his own people, won't know how to make peace with his neighbors," he tweeted on Monday.

Onstage, Geffen attributed his evolution to what he said was a friendship with Ayelet Shaked, a right-wing politician who is currently Israel's minister of the interior. She responded on Twitter, saying, "Aviv, I am glad that I helped enlighten your eyes to all the good in this community, salt of the earth, I hope your voice will contribute to increasing unity and free love in our wonderful nation."

Geffen also donned a knit kippah of the type favored by religious Zionists — a meaningful move in a culture where the style of a man's head covering is a signifier of his political ideology — before performing with Avraham Fried, a popular Hasidic Orthodox singer. Fried and Geffen struck up a friendship early in the pandemic, after Geffen expressed sympathy during an online concert toward the Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, whose residents had been hard hit by COVID-19.

Geffen performed at two different settlements, each with strong religious Zionist bona fides: Kedumim, home to Bezalel Smotrich, a right-wing politician who wants Israel to be governed by Jewish law, and Beit El,  a self-described conscientious objector in a country where military service is mandatory, Geffen also performed for the first time at Israel Defense Forces bases in recent months.

Geffen's comments come as Israel nears an election — its fifth in three years — in which Shaked is leading a new party, Zionist Spirit, that could determine whether former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu returns to office. Beyond that question, it appears clear that more Israelis are planning to vote for right-wing parties that oppose any concessions when it comes to the West Bank.

"The center has been sliding right and the rhetoric is now focused on who is the "authentic right,'" sociologist Or Anabi wrote in an analysis distributed Tuesday by the nonpartisan research center Israel Democracy Institute.

While Shaked and other right-wing figures celebrated Geffen's comments, they drew criticism and sadness from the left. Writing in the liberal newspaper Haaretz, Carolina Landsmann connected Geffen's change of heart to a dispute between the city of Tel Aviv and the national ministry of education about whether schools can display maps delineating where Israel's 1967 borders end and where the settlements begin. The government says such maps are prohibited, but many Tel Aviv schools nonetheless plan to display them when classes begin this week.

"Without the two-state solution on the horizon, there is no longer significance to the old political division or to the ideological dispute around the future of the West Bank and the settlement project," Landsmann wrote. "The erasure of the Green Line was the real, unstated price of the 'government of change' that the Tel Avivians created along with the settlers. Gefen, from this perspective, is not at all avant-garde. He is a conformist who now toes the ideological line."

In his comments during the Beit El concert, Geffen acknowledged the magnitude of his presence.

"Being here today in Bet El is something I would not have dreamed of several years ago and I am so glad to be with you here in love and in honor," he said. "I ask you what I ask from myself: only unity, enough with incitement, to understand that we are real brothers. Thank you for inviting me here and I love you."

[yankeedoodle]

Germany apologizes to Munich Massacre victims and opens research commission into events surrounding the tragedy
https://www.jta.org/2022/09/06/global/germany-apologizes-to-munich-massacre-victims-and-opens-research-commission-into-events-surrounding-the-tragedy

At a ceremony held on the air base where 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were murdered during the 1972 Munich Olympics, German officials apologized for the "lack of protection" that led to the tragedy and agreed to establish a joint research commission to look more deeply into the events surrounding the terror attack.

"We cannot make amends for what has happened," said German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday. "I ask you, as the head of state of this country and on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany, for forgiveness for the lack of protection of the Israeli athletes during the Olympic Games in Munich and for the lack of clarification afterwards; for the fact that what happened could happen."

Germany also reached a compensation deal of about $28 million with the attack's surviving family members days before the commemoration, a significant increase from a previous offer that staved off a planned boycott of the ceremony by the victims' families.

"Today, 50 years on, many questions, far too many questions, remain unanswered," Steinmeier said. "The attack was followed by years, of decades of silence and blocking out... that too is a failure.

"Honored family members, I cannot fathom what suffering, what pain you've been through... How can life go on," he added. "For five decades, that gnawing pain has been with you."

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who threatened to join the boycott, attended Monday's ceremony and addressed the Bundestag, or Germany's parliament, on Tuesday, praising its government for the apology and welcoming a proposal by Bundestag President Bärbel Bas to create a new German-Israeli youth exchange organization.

Herzog thanked Steinmeier and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for "taking responsibility" and contributing to "some relief of the pain that relatives still have today."

On Sept. 5, 1972, eight terrorists from the Palestinian group Black September entered the Olympic Village and took members of the Israeli delegation hostage, demanding the release of Palestinian political prisoners held in Israel and elsewhere. After a botched rescue attempt, 11 Israelis and one West German police officer were killed by the end of the night.

Herzog capped his trip with a visit to the memorial at the Bergen-Belsen former concentration camp. His father, Chaim Herzog — who would become Israel's sixth president — helped liberate the camp in April 1945, as a British army officer.

[yankeedoodle]

Scott is grovelling by denying that he is an "anti-semite' and is essentially apologizing to the jews by demanding that another person apologize.

Scott told The Oaklandside today that he is "absolutely not antisemitic" and that his reply was meant only to express frustration with the fact that some candidates have been invited to appear in public political forums and others have not. Later in the email thread, he encouraged Liu to apologize "to let folks know you are not making a blanket statement about Jews."

Oakland Mayoral Candidate Goes On Antisemitic Bender
https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-118/oakland-mayoral-candidate-goes-on-antisemitic-bender

A candidate for Oakland mayor has been widely condemned for making antisemitic comments in mass emails first sent on Sunday. A fellow candidate has been criticized for his initial response to those comments.

On Sunday, Peter Liu, who has twice run for Oakland mayor and never gotten more than 1% of the vote, sent an email to over 60 people, including other candidates and members of the media, slandering and threatening the Jewish Community Relations Council, a Bay Area public affairs group, and congregants of Oakland's Temple Sinai synagogue. Liu also accused both organizations of unfairly excluding him and other mayoral candidates from an upcoming forum at the temple.

"I am sick of these corrupt Jews and their media allies deceiving the public," Liu wrote, invoking an antisemitic trope in which Jewish people are accused of nefariously controlling mass media outlets. The watchdog group StopAntisemitism tweeted the email containing the hateful words

https://twitter.com/StopAntisemites/status/1567486721977188353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1567486721977188353%7Ctwgr%5Ee658c232fa9339004375e51fe287af2312f4e19c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stopantisemitism.org%2Fantisemitic-incidents-118%2Foakland-mayoral-candidate-goes-on-antisemitic-bender

Liu then threatened Temple Sinai, saying in his latest mass email that he would "notify all national veteran organizations" about his grievance against the temple. He followed this up with another email stating, "I am not afraid of jail. I long overcame fear of getting killed, I was a combat veteran. If I die, I die on righteous grounds. I fear no enemies at this point."

Reached by telephone, Liu told The Oaklanside he believes there is "Jew supremacy" in Oakland and worldwide, echoing conspiracy theories that have long been used to target and persecute Jewish people.

Although Liu denies that his recent comments are inflammatory and said he means no harm to anyone, he has a history of harmful speech aimed at minority groups. In 2018, when he ran for mayor, Liu took to Twitter to blame his dismal performance on "Jews shamelessly rigging elections via owning [and] controlling mass media." In 2017, he urged a boycott of Disney because they "sneak gay scenes into innocent kids' movies." He said he was subsequently banned from Twitter for hate speech. The Oaklandside reviewed Liu's old tweets, which he saved on Facebook, for this story.

Liu is one of 10 candidates running for mayor this year. His platform includes building giant water slides in parks and allowing people to carry concealed firearms. He describes himself as a self-made millionaire and said his views about the world are shaped by his Christian beliefs.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Liu had sent over 17 responses in the same email chain, lobbing more accusations tinged with hate speech at the Jewish community forum's organizers, even as fellow candidates and other observers urged him to stop.

The first response to Liu's email on Sunday was from Seneca Scott, a West Oakland resident and founder of the entertainment company Oakhella who is also running for mayor. Scott replied to Liu's email within two minutes with just one word: "Protest!?!"

Liu wrote back that they should organize a sideshow—a demonstration of illegal stunt car racing—in front of the temple.

Several people posted screenshots of this exchange on social media. Among them was Cat Brooks, an activist and Oakland mayoral candidate in 2018. Brooks wrote that she interpreted Scott's comment as an endorsement of Liu's anti-Jewish views.

"His response was absolutely inappropriate," Brooks said in an interview with The Oaklandside. "This can't be divorced from what's happening nationally, the political base that Trump built." She said it's dangerous to endorse the idea of a protest at a Jewish temple at a time when hate crimes are rising. Just days before Scott responded to Liu's incendiary email, Brooks had taken to Twitter to share "grave concern" about Scott's candidacy.

Scott told The Oaklandside today that he is "absolutely not antisemitic" and that his reply was meant only to express frustration with the fact that some candidates have been invited to appear in public political forums and others have not. Later in the email thread, he encouraged Liu to apologize "to let folks know you are not making a blanket statement about Jews."

During his first mayoral run in 2014, Liu criticized Temple Sinai for not inviting him to participate in its mayoral debate. According to emails Liu posted to his extensive Oakland Wiki page, the temple invited only candidates who were receiving support from at least 5% of likely voters in recent independent polls. Liu was not among them.

Zennie Abraham, an independent video blogger and longtime Oakland political commentator who was also a recipient of Liu's emails over the past several days, responded to Liu that he feels threatened and harassed and that he's considering taking action under the city's hate crimes law.

[yankeedoodle]

U of Wisconsin apologizes to Jewish students after 'Zionism is genocide' graffiti pops up around campus
https://www.jta.org/2022/09/09/united-states/u-of-wisconsin-apologizes-to-jewish-students-after-zionism-is-genocide-graffiti-pops-up-around-campus

Administrators at the University of Wisconsin-Madison issued an apology to the school's Jewish students after graffiti targeting what perpetrators called "Zionist" student groups was spotted in multiple locations around campus on the first day of the semester this week.

University officials called the graffiti antisemitic and said they did not know who had drawn it. According to local reports and images shared by the American Jewish Committee, the graffiti at one location included phrases like "Zionism is Racism" and "Zionism is Genocide," and referenced unnamed "Zionist" organizations at the university that "have blood on their hands."

"These labels are antisemitic: they attribute broad actions or beliefs to Jewish student groups," UW Vice Chancellor Lori Reesor and Chief Diversity Officer LaVar J. Charleston said in a joint statement Wednesday.

"To those Jewish students and others affected, we are sorry for the impact this had on your first day of class at UW," Reesor and Charleston continued. "We truly strive to create a campus where every student feels they belong, and this kind of messaging harms that goal and aspiration."

The university has more than 4,000 Jewish students, according to UW Hillel. The university's Hillel Foundation president, Greg Steinberger, told Madison.com that the messages were "a frightening and painful way to start the year," and that Jewish students "were targeted for their interests and they were singled out by an intentional and hateful act designed to cause harm." He called on administrators to further investigate the identities of those responsible.

Steinberger did not respond to a Jewish Telegraphic Agency request for comment. In their statement, the UW administrators said that while the graffiti was protected under campus free speech, "Just because something isn't prohibited doesn't make it a good idea."

One Jewish student group wrote their Instagram handle next to some of the graffiti, labeling themselves "proud and pro-Israel."

Campus debates over Israel and antisemitism have spilled over into the realm of Jewish student groups in recent years, with pro-Palestinian activists at Tufts University and in the greater Boston area targeting even socially liberal Jewish groups, as well as universities that host pro-Israel groups, as examples of "Zionist" organizations that should be ostracized. Other recent campus controversies have involved student government efforts to deny recognition to pro-Israel groups at Duke University and divest from Israel at Ohio State University; legal watchdog groups got involved in both cases to apply pressure to campus administrators.

[yankeedoodle]

US Air Force apologises for scheduling training day on Yom Kippur
Jewish cadets say academy leadership were aware of the clash for weeks
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/us-air-force-apologises-for-scheduling-training-day-on-yom-kippur-5kwIHD25P4PLKRK01NvmMo?reloadTime=1665513718134

The United States Air Force Academy has said it will rectify the process that led to a clash between a key training exercise and Yom Kippur.

"The US Air Force Academy recognises the importance of the holy days of all faiths. A training event was unintentionally scheduled this week during the Jewish observance of Yom Kippur," Lieutenant Colonel Brian Maguire, the academy's public affairs director told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on Thursday.

"The Academy's Academic Year Calendar is developed and maintained through an institutional process that includes input on faith considerations of the cadets.

"We will correct our processes to ensure this, and mistakes like this, do not happen again."

Lt. Col Maguire explained that cadets planning to observe the holiest day in Judaism were permitted to do so, stating: "Religious accommodations were planned and made available to all Jewish cadets wishing to observe Yom Kippur."

The academy's "Commandants Training Day" is a compulsory event that takes place once every semester. The high publicity event involves cadets displaying what they have learned throughout their training and is important to cadets' advancement.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) publicised the scheduling clash in an article published by the liberal political blog site Daily Kos.

MRFF founder Mikey Weinstein, a Jewish graduate of the academy, told the JTA that a number of Jewish staff and students had informed him about the clash, and said academy leadership had known about the oversight for weeks.

Local media also published an email, sent last Tuesday evening just minutes before Kol Nidrei, from the dean of faculty, Brigadier General Linell Letendre, in which she said a "serious scheduling oversight," had occurred.

"Obviously, tomorrow's Commandant's Challenge should not have been scheduled to overlap with this significant religious holiday," she continued.

Mr Weinstein says he has submitted a freedom of information request to uncover how the academy dealt with the forthcoming clash with the key Jewish High Holy Day.

"All anyone had to do was to Google 'Yom Kippur 2022', and the dates would have happily popped up on pretty much any computer screen on this planet," he argued.

The organisation says that US troops and other military personnel who complain of religious discrimination often turn to it as it ensures the complainant's identities are not revealed.

[yankeedoodle]

Stanford U apologizes for discriminating against Jewish applicants in the 1950s
https://www.jta.org/2022/10/13/united-states/stanford-u-discriminated-against-jewish-applicants-in-the-1950s-task-force-confirms

An official investigation by Stanford University released Wednesday confirmed longstanding suspicions that university administrators acted to limit Jewish enrollment in the 1950s while publicly denying that they were doing so.

In tandem with the release of the report, Stanford's president, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, apologized to the Jewish community on behalf of the university.

"This ugly component of Stanford's history, confirmed by this new report, is saddening and deeply troubling," Tessier-Lavigne wrote. "As a university, we must acknowledge it and confront it as a part of our history, as repellent as it is, and seek to do better."

Tessier-Lavigne also wrote that Stanford will work to ensure that it is welcoming to Jewish students today by increasing anti-bias training, creating a dedicated advisory committee, paying more attention to Jewish holiday cycles in university scheduling and other measures. The university's first day of classes this fall took place on Rosh Hashanah.

Stanford convened the task force that produced the report last year after a historian published his discovery of documents left behind by Stanford's admissions director from 1950 to 1970, Rixford Snyder, suggesting that Snyder was biased against Jews and interested in reducing their enrollment at the university.

A similar conclusion was reached by the task force, which consisted of faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, and students.

"For decades, it's been understood by many Jews in California that Stanford either had or has a bias against Jewish applicants," said Stanford history professor Ari Y. Kelman, who chaired the task force. "What we found was that the director of admissions, with knowledge of other members of high administration of the university, took steps to limit the number of Jewish students that were enrolled at Stanford."

Evidence of Snyder's intentions is found in a 1953 memo written by his colleague Fred Glover that was sent to then-Stanford President Wallace Sterling.

Glover noted that Snyder felt too many of Stanford's male applicants were Jewish and that the university must take action to change the situation.

"Snyder feels that this problem is loaded with dynamite and he wanted you to know about it, as he says that the situation forces him to disregard our stated policy of paying no attention to the race or religion of applicants," Glover wrote.

According to the archival material, Snyder acted to accomplish his goal of reducing Jewish admissions by targeting Beverly Hills High School and Fairfax High School, two Los Angeles schools with predominantly Jewish student bodies.

"If we accept a few Jewish applicants from these schools the following year we get a flood of Jewish applicants," Glover wrote, relaying Snyder's concern.

After the date of that memo, for example, Snyder dropped Beverly Hills and Fairfax from his recruitment efforts at Southern California schools, according to Snyder's travel itineraries found in the university's archives.

An analysis of enrollment data showed that Stanford soon saw a sharp drop in enrollment from these two schools.

Stanford's history of discrimination against Jews and other minorities is far from unique among elite universities. At earlier points in the 20th century, many Ivy League schools enacted far more blatant policies of discrimination, such as official religious and racial quotas, controlling the number of Jews enrolled. (The U.S. Supreme Court this year will consider two cases about affirmative action, a contemporary practice aimed at ensuring diversity that its critics say amounts to discrimination against students from some backgrounds.)

The fact that the antisemitism uncovered at Stanford was more subtle and came later is instructive as institutions across the country are increasingly reckoning with their past, said Stanford historian Emily J. Levine, who was part of the task force.

"In the 1950s, it was no longer as acceptable to be so overtly antisemitic," Levine said. "Antisemitism didn't so much go away as it went underground."

And because the discrimination went underground, specialized research skills, the kind that students can learn at Stanford, were needed to parse the archival material and understand the methods of reducing Jewish student enrollment and their impact, she said.

For Levine, a moral commitment accompanied by research and teaching can create an environment for healing from the past.

"The process of collective institutional memory and self-reflective criticism as a community, right can actually make individuals feel more connected to each other and trust their institution more," she said.

About 7% of Stanford's undergraduates today are Jewish, according to data shared publicly by the university's Hillel. Stanford's public apology and commitment to improving Jewish life on campus through concrete steps are in line with the process of redress required under teshuvah, a Jewish concept about returning to the path of righteousness, according to Rabbi Laurie Hahn Tapper, the university's associate dean for religious and spiritual life.

And the timing, amid the Jewish High Holidays, couldn't have been more appropriate, she said.

"Has there been change since the '50s? Yes. We have a wonderful vibrant campus now — and antisemitism still exists," Hahn Tapper said. "So to be able to name it to bring it out of the shadows is step one in continuing to grow our community."

[abduLMaria]

Stanford U apologizes for discriminating against Jewish applicants in the 1950s
https://www.jta.org/2022/10/13/united-states/stanford-u-discriminated-against-jewish-applicants-in-the-1950s-task-force-confirms

An official investigation by Stanford University released Wednesday confirmed longstanding suspicions that university administrators acted to limit Jewish enrollment in the 1950s while publicly denying that they were doing so.

In tandem with the release of the report, Stanford's president, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, apologized to the Jewish community on behalf of the university.

God what Bullshit.

Stanford was totally infested with Jews in the late 1970's, when I went there.

My mother went there in the early 1950's, and though she is a Gentile, she is one of the most Jew-controlled people I have ever known.

A Jew Psychopath Psychiatrist I interviewed with in the early 1990's, went to Stanford Med School in the early 1960's.

[yankeedoodle]

Ebay apologises for selling memorabilia from Nazi era
Third Reich knick-knacks are still being traded despite a ban put in place 20 years ago
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/ebay-apologises-for-selling-memorabilia-from-nazi-era-7B3fvtZrKjc6VAV1IJtXgG?reloadTime=1665683059678

A Wehrmacht pin on sale on the site

eBay supposedly banned the sale of Nazi memorabilia 20 years ago. But Third Reich knick-knacks are still being traded through the online marketplace, the JC has discovered.

Items on sale over the last week included a Nazi propaganda book aimed at Britons, a swastika-emblazoned Nazi record book and postcards celebrating Adolf Hitler's victories across Europe.

The online auction giant apologised and removed the offending items after the JC brought them to its attention.

In 2001, eBay barred users from selling items that promoted hate or violence.

For sale: 1938 copy of Germany Speaks, a collection of essays edited by Nazi Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop

The prohibition included items relating to the Nazi regime, the Holocaust and slavery, among other historical events.

But a raft of products violating these rules can still be easily discovered on the site.

Pins from the German African legion, the Nazi's Munich district and a 1933 rally of the party's paramilitary wing were all available from a seller based in the United Kingdom. Several featured prominent swastikas.

On sale from China was a "high quality" replica Second World War-era Wehrmacht pin.

And for at least £50, you could buy a 1938 copy of Germany Speaks, a collection of essays edited by Nazi Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop.

Offensive material is blocked on eBay by a combination of filter algorithms and security teams which are supposed to monitor the site.

The company is understood to be currently reviewing its automated system to strengthen its ability to prevent Nazi memorabilia from appearing in the first place.

A spokesperson for eBay said: "We have removed the listings that breach our policy and taken action against the sellers responsible.

"We would also like to apologise for any offence caused."

[abduLMaria]

Nothing wrong with the German cross.

It's from one of the most FUNCTIONAL periods in German history - 1920 to 1933/4.

Germany managed to beat the Weimar hyperinflation - and then build the largest industrial economy in the world !  During that time, a "Soft Expel" of Jews was in place.

Then the Jews installed Hitler, because they knew they had to keep the example of pre-Hitler Germany from proliferating across the world.  Their Goose would have been Cooked.

That was also the time-frame when Henry Ford was publishing the International Jew.  So the Jews were losing in Europe AND the US.

SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE !

So they doubled down on the Israel Project, and set about to pit the US & Germany against each other in WW2.

[yankeedoodle]

N.O.R.E. Apologizes for Airing Kanye West's 'Hurtful' Antisemitic and George Floyd Comments on 'Drink Champs'
https://variety.com/2022/music/news/nore-apologizes-kanye-west-antisemitic-george-floyd-drink-champs-1235405889/

After Kanye West unleashed more than three and a half hours of anti-Semitic rants, untruths about George Floyd and hostile comments toward everyone from Trevor Noah to Diddy during a Sunday appearance on Revolt.TV's "Drink Champs," interviewer N.O.R.E. apologized for using his platform to have such views aired during a call to the"Breakfast Club" on Monday morning.

N.O.R.E. (real name: Victor Santiago), who challenged West only occasionally during the interview, was on the receiving end of many angry social media posts for his tacit acceptance of many of the comments.

"I made a mistake doing the Kanye interview," he said. "I could come out here and say this was Kanye's thing and that's it. And guess what? People will forgive me and I could get away with that. But that's not what I'm doing. I feel like I failed my people. I called 'The Breakfast Club': because I wanted to apologize to my people.

"I want to be honest. I support freedom of speech," he continued. "I support anybody not being censored. But I do not support anybody being hurt," N.O.R.E told "The Breakfast Club" host  Charlamagne Tha God. "I did not realize that the George Floyd statements made by Kanye on my show were so hurtful. You have to realize that it was the first five minutes of the show – like when he walked in, he told my producer that if we stop filming, he'll walk out. So I didn't want a Birdman moment, like when he walked out, so I wanted the man to speak."

N.O.R.E. stressed that he did he did "check" West in regard to some of the more incendiary comments regarding George Floyd, particularly the claim that Floyd's death was due to a Fentanyl overdose rather than police officer Derek Chauvin — who was convicted on two counts of murder and one of manslaughter. "I actually checked him about the 'White Lives Matter' thing too, but they were later in the episode, and I was already inebriated at that time, that maybe people looked over it. But I apologize to the George Floyd family."

While N.O.R.E. didn't specifically focus on West's more incendiary comments about Jewish people — including that the "Jewish owned" media is out to get West, and that everyone from "Jewish basketball team owners" to "Jewish record label bosses" are in control — or to labeling Pete Davidson, West's estranged wife Kim Kardashian's former paramour, a heroin addict, the "Drink Champs" host did offer a blanket apology to all who may have been wounded or insulted by West's comments.

"I don't watch my own interviews because I know I'm great. But when I watched this one, I cringed. And I felt terrible. So I have to say that I am sorry to anybody who was hurt by his rhetoric, anybody who was hurt by his speech. I want to apologize to the George Floyd family... I want to apologize to anyone who was hurt by someone saying something in my platform. Contrary to popular belief, we own 'Drink Champs.; We own our IP, so the person to blame is us. I'm not going to blame Puff Daddy [the owner of Revolt.TV where "Drink Champs" is aired]. Six years of this, I'm not going to have the excuse that I am not a journalist. I have responsibility.... I do not want my people to think that I did not step up at the time, but if you watch the whole 3 hour and 38-minute interview, I represent for George Floyd and Black people five, six, seven times."

N.O.R.E. also attempted to defend himself by stating, "I had four Jewish people in the room" during the interview, including Steve Rifkind from Loud Records. "I looked to the Jewish people in the room to tell me when Kayne was going over the line." Their looks, apparently, were those of "understanding where Kanye was coming from," he claimed, "but I don't support none of it."

He also denied rumors that some of West's comments were edited out of the interview, as Fox News did earlier this month. "We don't edit out nothing," he told "The Breakfast Club."

Diddy declined comment on the interview, but West posted a text exchange between the two earlier this month that concluded with Diddy writing, "I'm just trying to talk to you as a Black man. And I'm talking to you because this is hurting our people. Stop."

When "The Breakfast Club" hosts joked to N.O.R.E. about a comment that former president Donald Trump made about West being too "crazy" with his antisemitic statements, he laughed and said, "That's when I had to step up."

N.O.R.E. was gently reprimanded by Charlamagne for not challenging West earlier in the long interview, and for having him on the show at all. "As your friend, I told you last week not to do this [interview]," he said. "I told you this twice."

[yankeedoodle]

Kanye 'Ye' West Apologizes for Anti-Semitic 'Death Con' Comments: 'I Caused Hurt and Confusion'
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kanye-ye-west-apologizes-anti-223700055.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuanRhLm9yZy8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAm4k0dNDUmS2Y09eqN9SpiCDwauqGdr2ACKkybCtUPIwPXSTxHgk5Ko3yK8znq2PtTvVYWXYyl3Q_vCGWIJlj0eZVYtvsj1lkydAKyoQ1_axlkLLTAwu2stJGnUaURnWyxEIYNEDZvIq3auRS6K2jWevmHqNIpmxLbiSIMrjJBL

Ye apologized for his anti-Semitic "death con" comments Wednesday, underscoring that his tweet came from a place of "hurt."

"I will say I'm sorry for the people that I hurt with the 'Death Con' — the confusion that I caused," the artist formerly known as Kanye West told Piers Morgan on his TalkTV show. "I feel like I caused hurt and confusion. And I'm sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I have been through, and that I used my platform, where you say hurt people hurt people, and I was hurt."

The apology comes over a week after the rapper was locked from his Twitter and Instagram accounts for violating the platform's policies after Ye tweeted that he was going to go "death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE," referring to the military readiness condition "DEFCON."

"I'm a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I'm going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE," the rapper wrote in a now-deleted tweet. "The funny thing is I actually can't be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda."

The rapper further admitted that "it's wrong to hold an apology hostage." "I gotta let go of that and free myself of the trauma and say, 'look, I'm just gonna give it all up to God right now,'" he continued, "and say to those families that I hurt, I really wanna give you guys a big hug and I'm sorry for hurting you with my comments."

Despite the eventual apology, it was a belabored effort as Morgan grilled the artist on his harmful tweet, saying "I don't think you understand the pain you've been causing with some of these comments."

"God forbid one comment could cause people to feel any of the pain that my people have went though for years," Ye responded sarcastically before Morgan noted that the artist's comments were also a form a racism.

At this point in the interview, Morgan asked "Do you now regret saying 'Death Con 3' on Jewish people?" Are you sorry you said that?" to which Ye responded, "No, absolutely not." "You should be," Morgan retorted.

[yankeedoodle]

Ohio GOP candidate defends 'Jew you down' comment by saying Jews have 'solid money principles'
https://www.jta.org/2022/10/21/united-states/ohio-gop-candidate-defends-jew-you-down-comment-by-saying-jews-have-solid-money-principles

Facing criticism about her use in 2014 of the antisemitic phrase "Jew you down," the Republican nominee for a competitive state Senate seat in Ohio this week said she was just trying to praise Jews' frugality.

Michele Reynolds, a business owner and former public sector employee running as the GOP candidate in the state's 3rd Senate district, self-published a book for business owners in 2014. In it, she wrote, "I learned from other cultures on how they spend their money. Have you ever heard the term 'Jew you down'? This culture has a reputation for not wasting resources."

The book, "The Dreambiz Blueprint: 101 Business Tips on How to Develop and Operate Your Dream Business," is not easily available online. The passage was reported Wednesday by Cleveland.com reporter Jake Zuckerman and publicized by the Ohio Senate Dems caucus on social media.

The Reynolds campaign's initial response, issued to the Columbus Dispatch, said the candidate had intended to spotlight "what she learned from the wisdom of the Jewish community and how they are reputable for building successful businesses with a foundation of solid money principles."

But by late in the day Thursday, Reynolds had issued a more straightforward apology from her Twitter account, writing, "While it was never my intent to be hurtful or disrespectful when I wrote the book in 2014, I humbly apologize to the Jewish community and anyone offended by the expression. I won't reference this phrase again, and if the book is ever republished, I'll make sure it is removed."

"I realize there are better ways to express my respect for my fellow brothers and sisters in the faith," Reynolds added.

Reynolds, who has the endorsement of mainstream Republicans and business leaders in her state, tweeted a Rosh Hashanah message last month. An online biography identifies her as "first lady and executive pastor" of Common Ground Destiny Center Church, where her husband is the lead pastor. She has previously directed Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's office of faith-based and community initiatives.

Her other previous roles include commissioner of Ohio's Commission on Fatherhood, and working in the Akron mayor's economic development office.

Ohio's 3rd state Senate district includes parts of Columbus, its most populous city. The seat is currently held by a Democrat. In a previous local race, for county commission in 2018, Reynolds lost to the Democratic candidate by a wide margin.

Reynolds is not the first U.S. politician to draw fire this year for using the phrase "Jew you down," a phrase that persists in the 21st-century American lexicon, despite repeated pleas from Jewish organizations to kill it off because of its roots in antisemitic ideas about Jewish stinginess. Two Kentucky GOP state lawmakers also used the phrase while making a joke during a meeting of the state legislature in February, before apologizing.

[yankeedoodle]

Russian security chief apologizes for aide's Jewish 'cult' comment
Nikolay Patrushev apologised after Russia's chief rabbi dismissed the aide's claims as "anti-Semitic delirium"
https://www.rt.com/russia/565521-patrushev-apology-hasidic-jews/

The secretary of the Russia's national security council, Nikolay Patrushev, has issued an apology and distanced the council from "untruthful remarks" about a Jewish group made by one of his aides in a recent opinion piece. The Russian Jewish community was outraged by claims that members of the Chabad-Lubavitch group considered the rest of humanity inferior to themselves.

The accusation, made by aide Aleksey Pavlov, is his personal viewpoint and does not in any way reflect the position of the Russian government, Patrushev stressed in a statement to the Argumenty i Fakty (AiF) newspaper, on Thursday. "Relevant action has been taken regarding the author," he added.

The top official was referring to an opinion piece by his assistant, printed in the paper on Tuesday. He argued that Ukraine was being deliberately dragged towards various forms of paganism or cultism masquerading as mainstream religions, accusing some senior Ukrainian public figures of directing the process.

Among the targets of his verbal attack was Chabad-Lubavitch, a variant of Hasidic Judaism that originated over two centuries ago in what is now Vitebsk Region in Belarus, but was largely pushed out of the Soviet Union during the Bolshevik crackdown on religious practices.

Pavlov called the movement a "sect," which in Russian has a pejorative meaning similar to the word "cult" in English, and claimed that its "main principle is the superiority of its members over all other nations and peoples."

The characterization was strongly rejected by Russia's chief rabbi, Berel Lazar, whose rebuke was published by AiF on Wednesday.

"It should be enough to say that 90% of rabbis working in Russian Jewish communities are part of Chabad, and I am one of them," he wrote.

The movement rejects any form of idolatry, contrary to "Mr. Pavlov's fantasies" and advocates respect for all monotheistic religions, all peoples, and every individual since we are "all in essence G-d's children," he added.

Lazar said he would have ignored Pavlov's words as "vulgar anti-Semitic delirium" if he didn't hold a high position in the Russian security council. He called for a "swift and unequivocal reaction" to it.

[yankeedoodle]

This lady apologized, but it didn't do her any good, did it.

It then emerged that Dallali had posted provocative comments such as "Khaybar Khaybar O Jews... Muhammad's army will return Gaza" – a reference to a 628 massacre. She has apologised for the 2012 tweet, saying she was now "a different person".

Sacked NUS president Shaima Dallali slams her firing as 'unacceptable'
The NUS said that an independent panel found that 'significant breaches of NUS' policies have taken place'
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/shaima-dallali-sacked-as-nus-president-after-antisemitism-investigation-60pJUIaxpqtzEodLEN7EgU?reloadTime=1667323952172

Shaima Dallali has slammed her sacking as National Union of Students (NUS) president as "unacceptable" after a months-long independent investigation into allegations of antisemitism found "significant breaches" of the union's policies.

The NUS announced yesterday that it had terminated Dallali's contract after a months-long independent investigation into allegations of antisemitism

After being suspended from her role at the end of August, it is understood that the organisation decided to dismiss her for gross misconduct.

In a statement, the student organisation said: "Following the independent KC-led investigation into allegations of antisemitism, specifically into the then-President Elect under the NUS Code of Conduct, an independent panel has found that significant breaches of NUS' policies have taken place. As per this finding, we have terminated the President's contract."

The NUS added: "We are sorry for the harm that has been caused and we hope to rebuild the NUS in an inclusive way – fighting for all students as we have done for the past 100 years."

It is thought to be the first time in the 100-year history of the national student organisation that a president has been suspended or fired.

In a tweet after her firing, Dallali said: "On the first day of Islamophobia Awareness Month, I find out I have been dismissed through Twitter. That is unacceptable."

A source rebutted the claim, telling the JC: "Those directly involved with the investigation were of course formally informed of the decision before anything was made public."

In a statement after yesterday's announcement, the Union of Jewish Students said: "UJS respects the decision of the National Union of Students to dismiss their President. Antisemitism in the student movement goes beyond the actions of any one individual and this case is a symptom of a wider problem.

"Jewish students across the country will be asking how an individual deemed unfit for office by NUS was elected in the first place. We await the findings of the substantive inquiry into NUS' treatment of Jewish students."

Chloe Field, VP of Higher Education, will step up as acting chair of the NUS UK Board and will push for more support for students amid the cost of living crisis, the NUS confirmed.

https://twitter.com/ShaimaDallali/status/1587498159357427712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1587498159357427712%7Ctwgr%5E910b4619e8fb4590a9dbda00f50345674aa14226%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fnews%2Fshaima-dallali-sacked-as-nus-president-after-antisemitism-investigation-60pJUIaxpqtzEodLEN7EgU%3FreloadTime%3D1667323952172

Robert Halfon, a government minister in the Department for Education, tweeted: "Antisemitism is abhorrent and I welcome this verdict from the NUS.

"However, this is only the first step in addressing antisemitism allegations within the organisation and am very keen to see further action that they are taking concerns from Jewish students seriously."

Dallali, 27, was elected to lead the NUS for a two-year term from July after being elected by delegates at the organisation's national conference in March.

It then emerged that Dallali had posted provocative comments such as "Khaybar Khaybar O Jews... Muhammad's army will return Gaza" – a reference to a 628 massacre. She has apologised for the 2012 tweet, saying she was now "a different person".

In material passed to the JC earlier this year by researchers at Labour Against Antisemitism, it was revealed that she had labelled a cleric critical of Hamas a "dirty Zionist" and posted a video of anti-Israel protesters calling for an intifada.

And in a 2018 article, she praised Muslim Brotherhood cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi - who was expelled from Britain, America, France and Germany – calling him the "moral compass for the Muslim community at large".

The JC revealed in May that government ministers were demanding an investigation after it emerged that Dallali's election may have been invalid because she failed to commit to the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

Facing huge public pressure, the NUS then announced in May that it had appointed Rebecca Tuck KC to conduct an independent investigation into Dallali, as well as allegations of institutional antisemitism at the organisation.

In an interview with the Guardian, Dallali said she welcomed the independent investigation, saying it was "the right thing to do. I know quite a few Jewish students feel alienated. This is the first step to start bridging the gap and reaching out to Jewish students and ensuring that Jewish students feel like they have a place in NUS."

Just hours after her suspension as president on 24 August, Dallali posted on Twitter: "Don't ever believe that an organisation is 'progressive' or cares about justice before finding out how they treat women of colour and/or Muslim women. Many enable oppression and Islamophobia. They will punish us for daring to be political and make us believe it's our fault." 

Two weeks later, Dallali posted a lengthy thread on Twitter: "I always knew it would be difficult being a Black, Muslim woman in the public eye but the racist and Islamophobic abuse I have been subjected to and death threats I have received since becoming NUS president are not ok.

"I came into this role with so much hope and enthusiasm to build on the amazing work of the student movement and to serve students across the UK. Instead, I've been subjected to the most horrifying attacks on my character, my faith and my identity.

"No doubt, these attacks have taken a toll on my mental & physical health. But what keeps me going is the thousands of incredible students who elected me with an overwhelming majority. I was elected by them with the promise of serving them & that I would never give up on them."

She went on to allege that "There are those working tirelessly to make sure that women who look like me never feel welcomed or safe in public positions. I'm also working hard to make sure that no Black, Muslim women who assume this role in the future has to ever experience what I've experienced.

"I am proud to be Black. I'm proud to be Muslim and I'm proud to be serving students across the country who are facing some of the most difficult challenges that students have ever had to face."

The union has been engulfed by an antisemitism crisis with Jewish students citing a climate of fear on campus.

In May, the government announced it was cutting ties with NUS in the wake of accusations of "antisemitic rot at its heart".

Announcing the move, the Department for Education cited "allegations of antisemitism, which have been well-documented and span several years".

It noted that the allegations had caused "a feeling of insecurity amongst Jewish students across the country and a worry systemic antisemitism within the organisation is not being properly addressed".

[abduLMaria]

I apologize for not doing enough to counter Anti-Gentile-ism when I was Younger.

[yankeedoodle]

jews force the BBC to propagandize Arabs.

At last! BBC apologises for its 'disdainful' treatment of Jewish concerns
Corporation finally says sorry for years of 'unacceptable' handling of complaints about anti-Israel bias in its Arabic output
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/at-last-bbc-apologises-for-its-'disdainful'-treatment-of-jewish-concerns-3Uo797FGdE4NfGyjMbGzqM?reloadTime=1667497395259

The BBC has apologised for years of "unacceptable" handling of complaints about anti-Israel bias in its Arabic output, which activists say represented a "disdainful" attitude towards Jewish concerns.

It is an early victory in the JC campaign to restore impartiality to the broadcaster. Our petition demanding a parliamentary inquiry into its coverage of Jews and Israel is approaching 6,000 signatures and can be signed at theJC.com/BBCPetition.

Since the Gaza war in May 2021, BBC responses to complaints about Israel coverage have taken up to a year, with some ignored completely.

Even when complaints are acknowledged and upheld, issuing corrections is often delayed further or in some cases is not done at all.

The BBC Charter requires a framework that provides "transparent, accessible, effective, timely and proportionate methods" of fixing problems.

According to BBC rules, this means addressing complaints within 10 working days when possible. But it has taken the BBC an average of four months to respond to a watchdog's complaints about its Israel coverage in Arabic, with half of complaints ignored.

In one case, the broadcaster took 12 months to accept an error in a report about holy sites in Jerusalem. Although the BBC acknowledged it, the mistake remains online more than two months later, and is still in place.

"Out of our 26 complaints, only seven received a proper, timely response and resolution," said a spokesperson for Camera, a media watchdog which monitors Arabic language media.

A BBC spokesperson said: "We apologise for the unacceptable delay and will ensure formal responses are issued as soon as possible."
Since May last year, 14 of Camera's 26 complaints were upheld by the BBC, with some corrections only acted upon after many weeks. None were rejected.

Furthermore, of the 26 complaints made by Camera since the Gaza war in May 2021, 14 received no response, though three of these were later quietly corrected without acknowledgement, the watchdog says.

Complaints that forced the BBC into humiliating U-turns included unfairly criticising Israel in a report about a homophobic murder of a Palestinian by other Palestinians; labelling Jewish visitors to Temple Mount "foreigners"; and referring to Jewish prayers as "Talmudic ritual", which carries extremely negative connotations in Arabic.

It comes amid mounting criticism of the BBC's dismissive attitude towards Jewish criticism following Director-General Tim Davie's belated, "vacuous" response last week to an open letter from 36 parliamentarians and public figures sent in September.

BBC Arabic has an audience of 36 million people worldwide and is seen as a voice of authority in the region, raising further fears that its repeated errors have "fanned the flames of hatred".

The delays are the tip of the iceberg. In once instance, the BBC admitted an error but failed to correct it. In two further examples, the correction was only partial and came with no official response.

A Camera spokesperson said: "The BBC's complaint system is unable to meet its own standards when it comes to content in Arabic about Israel and Jews. That the BBC's foreign language content is inadequately overseen by its management is a well-documented fact. Now we see that even when the Arabic-speaking BBC audience is trying to step in and do the management's work for it, we still face impassable obstacles."

The revelations will magnify concerns about the broadcaster's process for the handling of complaints, with an Ofcom investigation into its reporting of the Oxford Street Chanukah attack nearing completion, the JC understands.

A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is backing the JC's campaign, said: "As calls mount for a parliamentary inquiry into antisemitism at the BBC, this feels like a forced apology. For years, the BBC has shown a disdainful attitude towards Jewish concerns and failed to engage with the community's complaints.

"The rot has been festering for years and now needs to be drawn into the light of parliamentary scrutiny.

"The BBC is seen as an authoritative voice around the world, and it is disturbing to consider the extent to which the views expressed on BBC Arabic may have fanned the flames of hatred over the years."

Criticism of the BBC's failure to deal adequately with complaints on Jews and Israel is not new — and not confined to its Arabic channels.

Neil Turner, a non-Jewish project manager from Northampton, became involved in a dispute with the BBC in 2013 after he made numerous complaints regarding its coverage of Israel in English.

"The BBC's complaints system is designed to delay, obfuscate and demoralise those complaining," he told the JC. "Complaints can take weeks, months or years to get through the system.

"In the extremely unlikely event you are successful, they bury the findings and carry on as usual. As the complaints team is staffed by the BBC, and Ofcom is staffed by establishment types with BBC connections, you really have no chance of a fair hearing.

"They're unaccountable. Almost every day there's something misrepresenting or maligning or demonising Israel."

Barrister Jonathan Turner, Chief Executive of UK Lawyers for Israel, described the BBC's complaints system as "totally unfit for purpose".

Having submitted complaints himself, including in a high-profile case in 2007 concerning an article about the Six-Day War, he said: "Timings specified in their policies are ignored with impunity. Responses, if and when eventually given, are designed to fob off. Complaints handlers seem to regard it as their job to find reasons, however bad, to reject complaints, rather than to consider them objectively and use them to improve quality.

"In theory, there is now a right to appeal to Ofcom, but guess what? Nine out of 14 members of Ofcom's Content Board, which is responsible for considering complaints about content, are ex-BBC."

A BBC spokesperson said: "Our complaints team are in regular and direct contact with Camera Arabic who submit a comparatively large number of complaints to us each year. Whilst there has been dialogue on the complaints, we acknowledge that some of them have not yet been actioned or responded to with a formal outcome letter. We apologise for the unacceptable delay and will ensure formal responses are issued as soon as possible."

[yankeedoodle]

Kyrie Irving apologizes for antisemitism controversy after Brooklyn Nets suspend him
https://www.jta.org/2022/11/03/sports/kyrie-irving-was-asked-if-hes-antisemitic-he-didnt-say-no

Kyrie Irving apologizes for causing 'pain' for 'Jewish families and Communities'

Nov. 4, 9:13 a.m. — Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving posted an apology to his Instagram late Thursday night, hours after being suspended without pay for at least five games for failing to condemn antisemitism.

"To All Jewish families and Communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize," Irving wrote in the post.

"I initially reacted out of emotion to being unjustly labeled Anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish Brothers and Sisters that were hurt from the hateful remarks made in the Documentary," Irving continued. He acknowledged that he shared the film without clarifying which parts he agreed with and which he did not, such as Holocaust denial. Irving said he had "no intentions to disrespect any Jewish cultural history regarding the Holocaust."

[yankeedoodle]

Vanderbilt defensive backs coach Dan Jackson apologized Friday for a comment on Facebook that praised Kanye West for his recent spate of antisemitic comments, in which he said the rapper was "two steps ahead of everyone."

In an apology posted to Twitter, the assistant coach called his comment "careless" and affirmed that antisemitism has no place in society.

"I want to sincerely apologize for recent comments that I made on social media. While it was certainly not my intent to offend, my wording was careless. and it was in poor judgment to wade into such a discussion without the full context. My comments were in no way reflective of our program or university and I accept full responsibility for my words and will learn from this experience going forward.

Jackson's full apology:

"To be clear, antisemitism has no place in our society. and I reject all forms of hate. I'm embarrassed by my mistake but proud to work at a diverse institution where we can learn from each other's cultures. I promise to be better moving forward for myself, our program and our institution."

Full story here:
Vanderbilt University Football Coach Causes Outrage for Praising Kanye West
https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-122/vanderbilt-university-football-coach-causes-outrage-for-praising-kanye-west

[yankeedoodle]

KFC Germany apologizes for 'treat yourself' chicken promotion tied to Kristallnacht
https://www.jta.org/2022/11/09/global/kfc-germany-apologizes-for-treat-yourself-chicken-promotion-tied-to-kristallnacht

The German branch of international fast-food chain KFC apologized to customers Wednesday for sending out a promotional message tied to the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the evening of Nazi-led antisemitic riots that precipitated the mass murder of Jews during the Holocaust.

"It's memorial day for Kristallnacht! Treat yourself with more tender cheese on your crispy chicken," KFC Germany said in an initial push notification message to customers, in German, advertising its "KFCheese."

A short time after, the chain sent a follow-up in all-caps: "SORRY WE MADE A MISTAKE." The company blamed the message on "a bug in our system."

Germany takes the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the "night of broken glass," seriously, even though Germans do not call the event by that name. Memorial events and discussions take place nationwide each year on Nov. 9-10 to reflect on Nazi Germany's persecution of Jews.

Reaction to KFC's "mistake" came swiftly. Daniel Sugarman, director of public affairs for the Board of Deputies of British Jews, tweeted that the promotion was "absolutely hideous." Arsen Ostrovsky, head of the pro-Israel legal group International Legal Forum, said he was "utterly speechless and repulsed."

Meanwhile, another German institution came under fire for a Kristallnacht controversy this year. Goethe-Institut Israel, the Israeli location of the German language and cultural center, rescheduled a planned panel discussion on "the Holocaust, Nakba and German Remembrance Culture" that had been set to take place on the anniversary of the violence. The "Nakba" is the common Palestinian term for the mass displacement and deaths that accompanied the State of Israel's 1948 War of Independence.

Israel's Foreign Ministry had criticized the Goethe-Institut for linking the Holocaust to the founding of the State of Israel on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, calling it "the blatant cheapening of Holocaust and the cynical and manipulative attempt to create a linkage whose entire purpose is to defame Israel."

[yankeedoodle]

The menu showing the Ann Frankfurter plant-based hot dog.

Caterer apologises after criticism of 'Anne Frankfurter' menu item
The plant-based business named their vegan hotdog after the murdered schoolgirl
https://www.thejc.com/news/news/caterer-apologises-after-criticism-of-anne-frankfurter-menu-item-7xLu4VV7DKVsQu294CA2Bm?reloadTime=1670950105272

A caterer has apologised after backlash to an inappropriately named menu item cost them a job.

Screenshots of a menu from The Viva Veggie Van, a plant-based caterer from the West Midlands showing the "Anne Frankfurter" plant-based hotdog were posted on Twitter yesterday, illiciting a fierce backlash online.

The £7 hot dog, which is served with raw onions, mustard, and relish was due to be served at the Birmingham Brewery Company taproom this weekend, but in a statement, the brewers distanced themselves from the veggie chefs saying: "A menu was shared last night by a 3rd party vendor who was booked to trade at our brewery tap room this weekend.

"We did not have sight of the menu before it was published and agree that the name of one of the dishes is totally inappropriate. The trader will not be trading with us."

After the picture of the menu was posted, local residents on Twitter voiced their concern about the dish, criticising both the caterers and the brewery for hosting them.

A local journalist described the menu item as "vile and senseless" and called on Birmingham brewery to distance themselves from it.

Maria Finn, the owner of viva veggie van told the JC that she didn't mean any offense by the name. She said: "I can't believe what's happened, It was just playing with words, something to stand out, this business is me and my daughter.

"We never meant to upset anyone, I'm not a controversial person."

She also attempted to back up the naming of the dish, saying: "Anne Frank was from Germany, from Frankfurt, and she didn't eat meat."

Finn also hit out at the brewery's reaction saying that she had already ordered food for the three-day event this weekend and the cancellation is leaving her massively out of pocket.

She described the losses as "A massive hit" saying: "This was going to be our first event, I got made redundant during covid and started the business with my daughter.

"We just wanted to do a small event before Christmas, we've ordered all our food now and there's no other festivals this weekend for us to sell at. I'm very disappointed."

Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust told the JC in a statement: "Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl forced into hiding for two years before being deported to Auschwitz and then Bergen-Belsen where she died.

"To use the name of a Holocaust victim as a marketing ploy will never be appropriate."

[yankeedoodle]

Minneapolis Councilman Apologizes for Antisemitic, Homophobic Social Media Posts
https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemitic-incidents-125/minneapolis-councilman-apologizes-for-antisemitic-homophobic-social-media-posts

Minneapolis City Council Member Jamal Osman has apologized for making antisemitic and anti-gay comments on Facebook from 2011 to 2013, calling Israelis "dogs" and speaking approvingly of Hitler. 

Osman, who was elected in the 6th Ward in a special election in 2020 and is up for re-election in 2023, took to Facebook in October 2012 to argue in favor of a proposed constitutional amendment that would have banned gay marriage.

He also wrote, "Voting yes means you against this discussing (sic) act" and said gay marriage "will invite end of days."

The following month, Osman wrote in Somali, "May god damn these non-Muslims" and CNN for "kissing Israel's a**.  Jews will never be pleased unless you follow their ways."

After someone agreed with him, Osman replied in Somali, "Where's Hitler when you need him?"

In September 2011, Osman wrote on Facebook, "We live in the United States of Israel" and said former President Barack Obama shouldn't get the Nobel Peace Prize, calling him a "slave of the Jewish lobby, AIPAC. LONG LIVE PALESTINE!"

AIPAC is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a lobbying group that advocates for pro-Israel policies in America.

In January 2013, Osman posted a video from a pro-Palestine website about "Israeli Jews assaulting Africans in Tel Aviv" and wrote "I can see why Palestinians don't want (to) share land with these dogs."

Osman has said on social media he plans to run for re-election.

Asked about the posts, Osman apologized in a statement to the Reformer.

"Over a decade ago I made comments about the Jewish community, Israel, and the GLBTQ+ community on social media. I explicitly and absolutely repudiate and disavow everything about these comments. It does not reflect how I feel about Jewish people or faith or the GLBTQ+ community. The friends and allies I have in the both of these communities expect more of me, and I am sorry to them."

Osman said he doesn't recall making the comments, but said "The heat of social media has a tendency to invite inflamed commentary, responses when you're ignorant about issues, and sometimes to depersonalize and dehumanize the people who you interact with."

The posts were deleted in October, after the Reformer reported on his wife's connections to a child nutrition program that federal prosecutors say is riddled with fraud.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released a statement saying Osman's comments were "divisive and dangerous for Jewish and LGBTQ people." He said Osman "apologized unequivocally and expressed deep remorse."

"I forgive him, and trust he has learned from this," Frey said. "In the age of social media, our public discourse can benefit both from recognizing our common humanity before making such comments and from forgiveness for people who make a sincere effort to repair harm they have caused."

Osman said he's grown and passed through several life stages since he wrote the posts. He graduated from college, got married and was exposed to diverse communities.

"Our neighbors deserve dignity and respect in all forms," he said. "I have been shown countless examples of that in the years since these comments. These comments could not be further from how I hope to conduct myself every day on the council."

He apologized to his constituents and his colleagues, particularly Mayor Jacob Frey (who is Jewish), Council President Andrea Jenkins (a transgender woman), Council Member Lisa Goodman (who is Jewish), Council Member Jason Chavez (who is gay) and to his aide Sean Broom (who has a Jewish family member).

"The things written hurt them individually and I am sorry for any ignorance I had and hope my growth since is evident to them and that they will continue to help me grow and learn," he said.

Another candidate running for the seat, Abdirizak Bihie, has also publicly condemned gay marriage. He encouraged people to vote for the anti-gay marriage amendment in 2012 and to oppose Keith Ellison, who at the time was the DFL congressman from the 5th District.

"If he was a real Muslim he wouldn't support men marrying each other," Bihi wrote of Ellison, who is Muslim. Bihi did not answer a call and his voicemail box was full. His posts were still on Facebook as of Monday.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, Muslim cultural norms and traditional readings of sacred texts often support a "heteronormative binary of gender identification and sexual orientation." More than half of American Muslims, however, said "society should approve of homosexuality" according to a 2017 survey by the Pew Research Center.

Tiger Worku and Kayseh Magan have also announced plans to run for the Ward 6 seat.

Osman could face a tough reelection. His wife, Ilo Amba, incorporated a nonprofit that reported feeding 2,500 children per day under a federal program that's been rocked by allegations of fraud. Amba incorporated Urban Advantage Services in November 2020, registering its office at the south Minneapolis home she shares with Osman, and the nonprofit received $461,533 in federal reimbursements in 2020 and 2021. Amba applied for two more distribution sites, which were among 213 sites denied by the state this year.

Urban Advantage's food distribution site was sponsored by Partners in Nutrition, a St. Paul nonprofit that state regulators shut down after some of the sites it sponsored were charged in connection with the $250 million fraud case. 

Osman also took his name off another nonprofit called Stigma-Free International and turned it over to others who went on to bilk the feds of over $10 million for sites throughout Minnesota, prosecutors say. Neither Osman nor Amba has been charged with a crime.

[yankeedoodle]

Oops...she did it again.

Whoopi Goldberg Apologizes After Uproar Over Latest Holocaust Comments: 'I Always Stood With the Jewish People and Always Will'
"It was never my intention to appear as if I was doubling down on hurtful comments," comedian says
https://www.thewrap.com/whoopi-goldberg-apologizes-after-uproar-over-latest-holocaust-comments-i-always-stood-with-the-jewish-people-and-always-will/

Following criticism from the Anti-Defamation League of comments she made in a recent interview with a British newspaper about Jewish people and race, Whoopi Goldberg has issued a clarification and apology.

"Recently while doing press in London, I was asked about my comments from earlier this year. I tried to convey to the reporter what I had said and why, and attempted to recount that time. It was never my intention to appear as if I was doubling down on hurtful comments, especially after talking with and hearing people like rabbis and old and new friends weighing in," Goldberg said in a statement released Tuesday.

"I'm still learning a lot and believe me, I heard everything everyone said to me. I believe that the Holocaust was about race, and I am still as sorry now as I was then that I upset, hurt and angered people. My sincere apologies again, especially to everyone who thought this was a fresh rehash of the subject. I promise it was not. In this time of rising antisemitism, I want to be very clear when I say that I always stood with the Jewish people and always will. My support for them has not wavered and never will," she continued.

In an interview with the Sunday Times published on Dec. 24, Goldberg was asked about the comments she made earlier in 2022 that got her suspended from "The View" for 2 weeks. At that time, Goldberg, while in no way denying the holocaust or minimizing antisemitism, expressed the view that the holocaust "wasn't about race." Her reasoning was that Jewish people are white and can pass in white society in ways Black people cannot, though this view obviously reflects America's history of racism and not Nazi beliefs about Jewish people that motivated the holocaust.

Asked about that matter by the Sunday Times, Goldberg tried to explain the situation and clarify those comments, unsuccessfully as it turns out. Those new comments were picked up by several right wing media outlets and the uproar was reignited. On Tuesday, ADL chief Jonathan Greenblatt condemned Goldberg's latest comments in a statement posted on Twitter.