In the past few weeks, rapper Kanye West’s comments and actions have brought the persistent issue of antisemitism to light. Antisemitism, prejudice, or discrimination towards Jewish people has been around forever, and these recent events show that it is still a huge issue.

On Oct. 8, 2022, Kanye West, who now goes by “Ye,” said on a Tweet “I’m a bit sleepy tonight, but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 on Jewish people,” In this tweet he was referencing to the United States military readiness system “DEFCON.” This would be the first of many antisemitic attacks Ye would make on various platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and even during podcast appearances, like on “Drink Champs.” Subsequently, several of Ye’s sponsorships, including with Adidas, were dropped. Ye has doubled down on his stance and has not apologized for any of his actions. 

Ye’s actions brought the issue of antisemitism to the national forefront, but his actions alone should not be the reason antisemitism is a popular topic. To this date, antisemitism is a huge issue. Unfair stereotypes and overall discrimination towards Jewish people is still a common event. In 2021, the American Jewish Committee ran a survey, which revealed that 24% of Jewish people had been a victim of antisemitism at least once in the past year, and that 40% of Americans had witnessed at least one antisemitic incident. 

Antisemitism is a bigger issue than what people think. It’s something that people generally think is a thing of the past, but it is still a persistent issue in the present. There seems to be a new headline of some sort of antisemitic incident every week, with the most recent headline being that a group of men in Chicago stormed a school bus and shouted antisemitic slurs and did the Nazi Salute. Additionally, in 2018, a mass shooting in a Synagogue in Pittsburgh killed 11 people. It was later discovered that it was motivated by antisemitic beliefs. These two incidents, and many more that weren’t mentioned show that antisemitism is present all throughout society.

It’s clear that Jewish people are still victims of antisemitism, from casual stereotyping to violent attacks. It is still a huge issue in America, and the rest of the world. In the end, antisemitism, like many other forms of discrimination, stems from ignorance, but continued awareness of this issue can ensure that people know how to prevent it