Jews reject Kanye West’s concert in Madrid for his “serious and repeated anti-Semitic statements”

The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain has expressed its “deep concern” and rejection of the celebration of the artist Kanye West’s (Ye) concert this Thursday in Madrid due to his “serious and repeated anti-Semitic statements, as well as comments of admiration towards Adolf Hitler and other trivializers and deniers of the Holocaust.”

In a statement, the Federation maintains that freedom of artistic creation and freedom of expression are “essential pillars of every democratic society”, but cannot serve to “normalize hate speech, the exaltation of Nazism or the trivialization of the greatest crime committed against the Jewish people and against Humanity.”

In this sense, he has argued that the United Kingdom vetoed the singer’s entry into the country and canceled his participation in the Wireless festival; France suspended a planned concert; and that scheduled performances in Poland and Switzerland were also canceled as a result of his anti-Semitic statements.

“Spain should not be an exception or a refuge for those who have contributed to spreading messages that fuel anti-Semitism and damage the memory of the Holocaust,” he stated.

Finally, he called on the competent authorities and organizers to reflect “on the impact of offering a stage to someone who has repeatedly used his notoriety to spread messages of hate.” “Culture should be a space for encounter and respect, never for legitimizing anti-Semitism,” he concluded.