Disgraced rapper Kanye West is in the lead to win the dishonorable title of “Antisemite of the Year” by a group that tracks Jewish hate.
The other two finalists for watchdog group StopAntisemitism's fourth annual contest include Mohamed Hadid — the father of supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid — and Jon Minadeo II head of the white supremacist group the Goyim Defense League (GDL).
"Though these three men promote antisemitism from three different directions, they are equally dangerous,” said StopAntisemitism Executive Director Liora Rez. “Together, they have all been a catastrophe for the well-being Jewish people in the United States in 2022. There are no Jewish safe spaces. The current state of Jew hatred is running rampant with no end in sight."
"Though these three men promote antisemitism from three different directions, they are equally dangerous."
Liora Rez
Who are the 'Antisemite of the Year' finalists?
West, who has legally changed his name to "Ye," tweeted last month that he was going to go “Death Con 3” on Jews, followed by a slew of antisemitic rants on Twitter. Adidas, Balenciaga and other firms have severed ties with the performer, costing him a large portion of his fortune.
Palestinian-Jordanian luxury real estate developer Mohamed Hadid, along with his famous daughters, has outspokenly blamed the Jewish state for the plight of the Palestinians, such as calling for the erasure of Israel using the infamous pro-Palestinian rallying cry, “from the river to the sea.”
Hadid also blames his personal financial problems on Jewish people and has been known to spread age-old tropes about Jews and power to his influential network.
In one of his latest antisemitic Instagram posts back in October, Hadid compared Zionist Jews to Hitler to his audience of 1.3 million followers
"Hitler labeled the Jews as terrorists and the Germans believed and cowardly did the crime of the century," Hadid wrote. "And the Zionists labeled the Palestinians terrorists in their own land. Fear no longer, the Zionists are the terrorist in our own land."
White supremacist and founder of the GDL, Jon Minadeo II, is the first repeat honoree for StopAntisemitism’s annual dishonor after hanging a banner over the 405 freeway in Los Angeles that read “Kanye is right about the Jews.”
Minadeo and the GDL are notoriously known for their flyer campaigns – distributing hateful and antisemitic flyers that blame Jews for COVID-19, 9/11, gun control, and more around US neighborhoods.
Voting for the finalist is still open and the “winner” of the “Antisemite of the Year 2022” title will be announced on December 11.