The Anti-Defamation League and Disturbed‘s David Draiman have both acknowledged Kanye West’s apology to the Jewish community, and said that it doesn’t “undo his long history of anti-Semitism”.
The controversial rapper, now known as ‘Ye’, took out an ad in the Wall Street Journal this week, apologising for his past anti-Semitic comments and saying that he “lost touch with reality”.
The apology was addressed to “those I’ve hurt”, and shared details of his bipolar type-1 diagnosis, as well as a “four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed [his] life”.
He went on to say that there were many things he “said and did” that he now “deeply regrets”, and explained that he found himself “gravitat[ing] toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it.”
Adding that the bipolar type-1 disorder “led to poor judgment and reckless behaviour that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body-experience,” Ye added that he now feels “deeply mortified by [his] actions” and “committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change”.
“It does not excuse what I did though. I am not a Nazi or an anti-Semite. I love Jewish people. To the black community – which held me down through all of the highs and lows and the darkest of times. The black community is, unquestionably, the foundation of who I am. I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us.”
Kanye West apologizes for antisemitism in new letter published through The Wall Street Journal:
“I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people” pic.twitter.com/gZ1E7YyJPa
— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 26, 2026
Now, the Anti-Defamation League – an organisation dedicated to combatting all forms of anti-Semitism – has weighed in on his comments, and said that while the apology is “long overdue”, it doesn’t mean people can automatically move on from the hurt caused.
“[It] doesn’t automatically undo his long history of anti-Semitism,” a spokesperson told Billboard, also citing West’s “anti-Semitic ‘Heil Hitler’ song, the hundreds of tweets, the swastikas and myriad Holocaust references — and all of the feelings of hurt and betrayal it caused.”
“The truest apology would be for him to not engage in anti-Semitic behaviour in the future,” they continued. “We wish him well on the road to recovery.”
Disturbed frontman David Draiman has also responded to the Wall Street Journal apology, and reiterated that while the comments are welcomed, there needs to be concrete change seen going forward too.
“Dear Kanye West. Thank you for this. Unfortunately, it doesn’t undo the damage done, I’m not sure anything ever could,” Draiman wrote, before making two suggestions that would help make the apology feel sincere.
One of them was asking Ye to take part in “Black/Jewish unity events”, which Draiman said he was happy to attend with him. The second suggestion was a request to delete the song ‘Heil Hitler’ from his catalogue.
As well as frequent attacks being launched on Twitter and the anti-Semitic song earlier mentioned, Ye also faced further backlash in 2022 after he wore a shirt emblazoned with the slogan ‘White Lives Matter’ at Paris Fashion Week.
Last year the rapper shared a string of highly controversial posts, took back his past apology to the Jewish community for his previous anti-Semitic remarks, and declared himself “a Nazi”.
He later said on X/Twitter that, “after further reflection”, he’d “come to the realisation that I’m not a Nazi”. But then just days later dropped more swastika apparel on his X page.
The apology in the Wall Street Journal comes after West held a meeting with a rabbi last November and apologised for his anti-Semitic comments. He had earlier apologised to Jay-Z, seemingly relating to vulgar and insulting remarks about his and Beyoncé’s children.
