Kanye West ignited controversy once again after posting an apology for his past antisemitic comments in Hebrew. The apology’s tone and language sparked speculations about its authenticity, with some accusing him of using a chatbot to generate it.
West’s apology, shared in the early hours of Tuesday, (December 26) on Instagram, reads: “I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions. It was never my intention to hurt or disrespect, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused. I am committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future. Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity.”
While the sincerity of the apology drew immediate debate, the use of Hebrew further fueled the flames. The American Jewish Committee criticized this choice, arguing that it excludes most American Jews and non-Jews who don’t speak the language.
“Beyond being bizarre and possibly a ploy to gain more attention, the Hebrew apology – posted without translation – is inaccessible to most American Jews who do not speak the language,” the organization said in a statement to The Associated Press. “While he claims that he is committed to learning and greater understanding, this apology speaks to ‘any pain I may have caused,’ rather than acknowledging the pain that he has caused.”
Adding to the controversy, a TMZ report claims an 85% chance that AI software may have generated the apology based on textual analysis. Furthermore, Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg speculated that the timing of the apology could be linked to pending sample clearance for his upcoming album.
“I wonder what sample Kanye needs to clear before Friday. Because we all know Kanye notoriously is late with handling album stuff and I just wonder weather there was something getting held up and someone said, ‘hey, this sample does not get cleared if he does not issue an apology’ he just goes on Chatgpt and boom we get an apology … no part of me believes this apology.”
He continued, “One thing we know about Kanye, he’s many things, inauthentic is not one of them and that comment was so inauthentic that it lets you know it couldn’t actually be from him.”
Kanye West has faced mounting consequences since his initial antisemitic remarks in October 2022 when he threatened to go “Death Con 3 on Jewish people.” His inflammatory remarks forced Gap, adidas and other companies to cut ties with him.
The rapper is gearing up to release Vultures, his joint album with Ty Dolla $ign, in the coming weeks.
