Lobbying underway to keep rapper out of Australia
Australia should refuse to let American rapper Ye into the country or risk putting the Jewish community at “significant risk”, a leading civil rights organisation says.
Rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
The Anti-Defamation Commission is lobbying for Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to block entry for the rapper, formerly known as Kanye West, deriding him as a “hatemonger who spews threats against the Jewish community”.
Ye is reportedly visiting Melbourne in coming days to meet the family of his supposed new “wife”, designer Bianca Censori.
The Anti-Defamation Commission, in calling for Ye’s visa to be blocked, pointed to a previous tweet from the rapper saying he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people”.
The commission noted Ye in an October interview repeatedly blamed “Jewish media” and stated the community would, “especially in the music industry … take us and milk us till we die”.
In a December interview, Ye also claimed six million Jews had not been murdered by the Holocaust and suggested he liked Hitler and Nazis, the commission said.
“Calling for violence and hate must have consequences and Australia should not put out the welcome mat and provide a platform to a hatemonger who spews threats against the Jewish community and peddles conspiracy myths about Jewish power, greed and control,” commission chairman Dvir Abramovich said.
“Kanye is a blatant, unvarnished anti-semite, Nazi-lover and Hitler worshipper who openly admires an evil tyrant responsible for the extermination of six million Jews, including 1.5 million children.”
Ye has denied being anti-semitic.
The kind of rhetoric Ye had spouted was dangerous and had real-world consequences, Dr Abramovich suggested, noting the rapper’s significant following.
He said allowing Ye into Australia would send the wrong signal about the country and violate its core values.
“At a time of rising anti-semitism in Australia and increasing vilification, his presence in the country, revolting anti-Jewish propaganda and incitement, and abhorrent rhetoric poses a significant risk to the Jewish community,” Dr Abramovich said.
Ye reportedly intends to visit Ivanhoe in Melbourne’s northeast, his partner’s hometown.
College Dropout Burgers, which Ye launched a lawsuit against over the business’ alleged references to the rapper and his branding, is also based in Ivanhoe.
In a post to Instagram referencing the rapper’s apparently impending arrival, the burger restaurant tagged Ye and said, “Call me when you touch down, I’ll pick you up”.
– AAP
