Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, on Thursday condemned the despicable antisemitism espoused during the InfoWars interview of rapper Kanye West and white nationalist Nick Fuentes.
“I am sickened by the conversation that Alex Jones had with avowed antisemites Kanye West and Nick Fuentes. At a time when antisemitism is on the rise, it is alarming that such vile rhetoric is given a platform and legitimized,” said Herzog.
“They engaged in hateful incitement, which could lead to violence and the death of Jews in horrifying incidents. Free speech does not extend to incitement of violence and demonization of the Jewish community, which faces the highest levels of religious-based violence in the United States,” he added.
“We must all stand against the continuing threat of antisemitism. No society can have room for such hateful ideas, no matter who expresses them,” concluded Ambassador Herzog.
In Thursday’s interview with Jones, West responded to criticism of his numerous outbursts – online and in person – regarding Jews.
Speaking with Jones even as his face remained completely covered with a zipped-up mask while on air, West said he “loves everyone,” including Jews, as well as Nazis.
When Jones defended West from his critics and accusations of antisemitism, saying “You’re not Hitler, you’re not a Nazi,” the rapper said he found some things about the late Nazi leader to be admirable.
“I see some good things about Hitler also,” Kanye said. “I love everyone. The Jewish people are not going to tell me 'you can love us and or you can love what we're doing to your contracts, but this guy [Adolf Hitler] that invented highways and invented the very microphone that I use as a musician - you cannot say out loud that he ever did anything good.' I'm done with that.”
“I'm done with the classifications. Every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler."
Later, West told Jones that that he does not consider Nazis to be evil, and said that he loves both Jews and Nazis.
West also mocked Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu with a bug net and a bottle of Yoohoo – a play on Netanyahu’s last name.
“Netanyahu, what do you have to say to Alex Jones, Nick Fuentes and Ye,” West said, holding up the net over the bottle of Yoohoo.
“It was bad for Trump to meet with Nick and Ye,” West continued in a high-pitched voice, assuming the role of “Net-and-Yoohoo.”
“I just heard about this guy like two weeks ago since the tweet and thought he had a funny name.”
West continues to be embroiled in controversy. Last month, West caused outrage after saying during an interview that the Abraham Accords between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain were signed because former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, who is also Trump’s son-in-law, wanted to "make money" from the deal.
He later threatened to go "death con 3 on the Jews" in an apparent antisemitic Twitter rant. West followed this up by claiming that he can't be antisemitic "because black people are actually Jew."
In the wake of the comments, several companies cut ties with West, including the Creative Artists Agency, Foot Locker, and Apple Music.
More recently, West and Fuentes met with former US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, leading to criticism of Trump over the meeting.