Kanye West’s actions are a ‘direct affront’ to Holocaust victims, says Jewish leader

WorldPolitics
14 Apr 2026 • 3:29 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Kanye West’s actions are a ‘direct affront’ to Holocaust victims, says Jewish leader

  • Rapper Kanye West was criticised by a Jewish leader at the UK's National Yom HaShoah event after being blocked from headlining Wireless festival due to his use of Nazi imagery and antisemitic language.
  • Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, stated that Nazism "will never be allowed to pay" and called West's actions a "direct affront" to Holocaust victims' memory.
  • Holocaust survivor Lydia Tischler, 97, shared her experiences of Auschwitz and Theresienstadt with 2,000 attendees, including 125 Jewish primary school children, at the event.
  • Communities Secretary Steve Reed pledged the government's commitment to stamping out antisemitism and ensuring the safety and freedom of the Jewish community in the UK.
  • Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis also addressed the gathering, highlighting "Jewish heroism" and the "extraordinary" resilience of Holocaust survivors.

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