The Jewish People’s Undying Connection to the Land of Israel
4 min read
6 min read
5 min read
6 min read
What would the world look like if we all stood against anti-Jewish hate?
A viral new video uses AI to show some arresting images: different Jewish celebrities modeling a tee-shirt featuring a hand giving Kanye West the bird. One after the other, well known Jews - everyone from former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to directors Steven Spielberg and Woody Allen, to actors Scarlett Johansson, Lisa Kudrow and Adam Sandler - appear, modeling the shirt. Its concluding message: “Enough is enough. Join the fight against antisemitism.”
It’s a jarring video with a much-needed statement against Kanye West’s outrageous antisemitism. It’s also a highly problematic way of responding to antisemitism.
The AI video is reacting to last week’s bizarre Super Bowl commercial from Kanye West (or Ye as he is currently known. I think we should just refer to him using the label he recently called himself: The Nazi). The 30-second primetime ad featured Kanye sitting in the back seat of a car, rambling that viewers should check out his website where they could buy all sorts of clothes and shoes. Shoppers could find only one item for sale: a tee shirt featuring a swastika. (Within days, Shopify, which hosted his website, disabled it.)
This outrage was just the latest example of Kanye’s public embrace of anti-Jewish hatred. Last week, he posted “I’m a Nazi…I love Hitler” on X. This is after issuing a series of anti-Jewish tweets in 2022, including declaring he was “going death con 3 on Jewish people….” He is currently being sued by an unnamed employee who alleges he created a “relentless and deliberate campaign of antisemitism and misogyny” in his business. (In the aftermath of his Super Bowl commercial, he’s been dropped by his talent agency, 33 & West.)
West’s open embrace of anti-Jewish hatred comes amidst an upsurge in antisemitism that’s putting Jews around the world on edge. In January 2025, the ADL found that nearly half of all people globally held antisemitic views: 46%, double the number of a decade ago. Even more worryingly, younger people are significantly now more likely to hold antisemitic views than older people (50% versus 37%). West’s doubling-down on antisemitism both reflects and drives the anti-Jewish prejudice that is increasingly fashionable among youth.
We’re witnessing a collision of traditionally “right wing” (fascist, Nazi) and “left wing” (anti-Israel) antisemitism, particularly amongst young people who are Kanye’s natural audience. Anti-Israel feelings have risen sharply over the past year and a half: in 2024 the ADL found that 29% of young people globally have a positive view of the brutal terrorist group Hamas. In that same period, young people became much more likely to voice traditionally pro-Nazi sentiments, such as the canard that Jews cause all of the world’s wars. Those who harbor strong anti-Israel views are 340% more likely to believe antisemitic statements; those who feel that Israel is an illegitimate country are 370% more likely than others to believe antisemitic misinformation.
“Antisemitic tropes and beliefs are becoming alarmingly normalized across societies worldwide,” explains Marina Rosenberg, Senior VP for International Affairs at the ADL.
The anti-Kanye AI video was released on social media Tuesday, February 9, two days after his Super Bowl ad. It’s the creation of Guy Bar and Ori Bejerano, who work together at an Israeli AI company. Bar explained he created the video as a way of saying “enough is enough” and responding to today’s pervasive anti-Jewish hate.
It uses generative AI, a cutting-edge technology which creates lifelike images. None of the celebrities in the 30-second video were asked for their permission to use their likenesses. Though Bar insists none of the celebrities whose faces he and Bejerano used have complained to them, Scarlett Johansson has publicly called for laws against using AI without consent. “I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind,” she said in a statement decrying the “deep fake” video. “...I also firmly believe that the potential for hate speech multiplied by AI is a far greater threat than any one person who takes accountability for it. We must call out the misuse of AI, no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality.”
Scarlett Johansson is onto a key Jewish idea. Even though this cute AI video carries an important message, the dangers of using people’s likenesses - or implying that they said or acted in a certain way when they did not - are too important to ignore.
The Torah says, “Keep far away from falsehood” (Exodus 23:7). It’s not enough to refrain from untruths: we’re commanded to stay away from anything that gives any kind of misleading statement. Perhaps that’s because it’s so easy to start rationalizing lies. It’s tempting to justify the video as promoting the higher goal of attacking antisemitism. Some might defend it by claiming it's obviously a joke. Yet the AI video carries no disclaimer that it’s not real. One teenager I spoke with assumed it was genuine. Manipulating people’s images without their consent is a form of theft.
Even attributing a positive statement to another person when they did not make them is prohibited in Judaism (Berachot 27b). As fun and well-intentioned as the AI video might be, it’s not the right forum for replying to West’s and other’s antisemitism.
Critics have pointed out that for many of the Jewish celebrities featured, this fabricated video is the only place they’ve publicly called out antisemitism.
Some of the celebrities have been active in attacking anti-Jewish hatred. Actor David Schwimmer, for instance, recently begged X owner Elon Musk to ban Kanye West from his social media platform. “We can’t stop a deranged bigot from spewing hate filled, ignorant bile,” Schwimmer posted, “but we CAN stop giving him a megaphone, Mr. Musk. Kanye West has 32.7 million followers on your platform, X. That’s twice as many people as the number of Jews in existence. His sick hate speech results in REAL LIFE violence against Jews.” (West’s X account was finally deleted on February 10, 2025.)
Yet many of the people depicted in the video have been silent over the past year and a half as antisemitism has exploded. Why? What if they broke their silence and acted a little more in real life like they appear in this viral video?
The AI video shows some of America’s most influential figures, from AI pioneer Sam Altman, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, and Adam Sandler who has been conspicuously silent.
Imagine if every single Jew – including the famous and influential – would stand up against Kanye and other antisemites like him? What if we all used our platforms - at work, at school, on social media - to call out antisemitism whenever we see it?
Let’s take the current viral AI video’s message to heart and make this deep fake a reality. Enough is Enough. Join the fight against antisemitism.
I think we would be better served using the time to work on our own internal hatred, resentments and grudges. The Almighty has traditionally used antisemitism to get us back on track. Charlie Harary has a great series on jealousy that helps us avoid some of these negative feelings we all harbor. We will advance the world further if we bring more light rather than trying to fight the darkness.
Who cares how much money you make, does it have to with the subjects on this site, in a lot of posts you push in how much money you make, which is not relevant to any of the topics mentioned
It would have been great if the celebrities in the video really supported Israel, many of them do, many are silent. But we cannot fix it with AI. It isn't right to use peoples fame or images without their permission.
Actually, Jewish celebrities and also non Jewish celebrities should stand up against hate, it starts with the Jews but it doesn't end with Jews
I do not know why people do not stand up against antisemitism. I do and if anyone has a complaint against Jews it should be me because the Jews will NOT accept me as a Jew (unless I convert which I will not do on principal) because not all my ancestors are Jewish, though most of them are.
It is sad that two Jews Chuck Schumer and Gerald Nadler seem to be not pro Israel ,while two non Jews Ritchie Torres and John Futterman are pro Israel, sometimes Jews are their worst enemy, George Soros and Mr Horowitz send money to the anti Semitic and pro terrorists to make protests and wreck havoc on college and university campuses, against Jews and Israel there are more Jewish like that, Jews that side with our enemies, don't realize they could be there next target
I do not know about Fetterman, but Soros (who is half Jewish through his mother) does NOT in any way use his money to support anti Jewish causes in fact just the opposite.
Schumer and Nadler are proud Jews who are pro Israel. I don't know about Horowitz, but I do know that Soros is also proIsrael. Let's not generalize without clear proof. Finally, elite BArnard College stood up and expeled two proPaletinian students who disrupted a class on Israel. Let's hope other schools follow Barnard's
example.
I saw the opposite they are pro our enemies, and side with organization s that are not friends of Jews or Israel
It's meaningless to discuss prejudice solely in one direction and in isolation from other forms of prejudice. When you tell people, “Don’t be antisemitic!”, what are you saying? You’re saying, consider people of other ethnic groups to be as important as members of your own. In fact, that their individual identities, as a mother, a store manager, an artist, etc., is far more important than their ethnic identity, which as Max Weber said, is based on the fiction of common descent.
Yet many people who complain about antisemitism simultaneously think that anti-Palestinian racism doesn’t exist! That Israel doesn’t grant equal rights to millions of people who have spent their entire lives under Israeli rule, and will spend the remainder of their lives under Israeli rule, means nothing to them.
Israel offers citizenship to any who want it and will agree not to perform acts of terror. She cannot be blamed if the offer is refused. No country is obliged to treat noncitizens as citizens nor to act kindly towards those who seek its destruction.
Two wrongs do not make a right. However it is not racism that is exactly going on, it is that fact that Palestinians for the most part follow the religion of Islam. Some Jews are racially no different from the Palestinians. Not all people who follow Islam are against Jews. In fact the country that has the most followers of Islam is the Asian country of Indonesia. In Asia there conflict but not between Jews and followers of Islam. The conflict is between those who follow the prophet, Buddah vs those who follow the prophet Mohammad. In terms of actual numbers of people the Buddah Mohammad conflict affects MORE PEOPLE THAN either the Jewish Muslium conflict or the Christian Muslium conflict, which is still going on in many countries as it has gone on for centuries.
Most countries that follow Islam are against Jews, the Jews from Arab countries had to flee with only the clothes on their backs and no money they were the real refugees not the so called " Palestinans " Jews are the real Palestinans the others are Arab Muslim impostors that want to steal our Jewish identity
The real Palestinans are the Jews, also most so called" Palestinans" were with Hamas to murder Jews and make Israel Judenrein( free of Jews) like the Nazis( may their name be erased), also in Gaza they found Mein Kenif( my fight/ my struggle) in Arabic the original was in German which was written by Adolf Hitler( may his name be erased)which is a hate manifesto
The war on the Jews and western civilization has been declared some time ago. Islamists and classic antisemites have joined ranks across the globe. The black community is not immune from this virus. What this Kanye character is doing is highly dangerous. His wife doesnt want to sink along with him so she smartly left him. His next stop should be suicide.
I guess haters of Jews and Israel did not get the memo that others realize, that every empire that started up with the Jews don't exist anymore everyone is mortal
except the Jews, Jews are immortal. because Hashem chose us from other nations, any enemy of Jews/ Israel will be defeated in the end like Psalm 83 says
I read in my Shabbat reading that the haters of Jews and Israel will destroy themselves, because instead of thinking of how to better themselves they are possessed how to harm Jews, maybe people have a problem with Jews because of jealousy, my mom( obm) said" jealousy and hate are twins" you end up hating someone you are jealous of also the Torah was given on mount Siani( in English it was translated to hate) when the Jews got the Torah some non Jews hate us, and some Jews are self haters in Egypt they were called the mixed multitude that seemed not to be really Jews but tag a longs
I would say that the traditional white supremisists are against Jews and followers of Islam. They have not changed and they are mostly European. What has changed is that some non Europeans are now complaining about Jews but on the other hand support Islam.
Then they are is something very wrong in their brain, Europeans did not learn from history it starts with the Jews and it ends with everyone else
"What would the world look like if we all stood against anti-Jewish hate?"
Every Jew should be standing up against antiSemitism by being steadfast in their faithfulness to HaShem.
A disgrace that the "celebrities" are either too scared, sympathetic to the Jihad murderers, or have the "I've got mine, forget you" to actually wear such a shirt and display in a video.
I agree with you, some celebrities stand up against anti semitism but it is to few, also non Jews should stand up for anti semitism because in previous history it starts with the Jews and ends up with everyone else
If you are not Muslim or the wrong type of Muslim you get murdered, whatever it is these characters don't respect life and are a bunch of psychopaths and why don't more people stand up to them to stop this insanity
That shirt is much better than Kanye West hate shirt, a ignorant bigot that doesn't know he( may his name be erased) was also on the list to be murdered together with black anti Semitic haters like him, instead of acting and talking they should of really done their homework about Nazis ( may their name be erased) and Hitler( may his name be erased) because they don't get the irony of they are admiring their would be executioner
No Jew should give Kanye West a seconds worth of air time.
He is unworthy.
The "need" to prove something to the lost people of this world is the problem.
I was inspired by the video.
We need to do more about the hate mongering by a group of Kanye's followers that was twice as large as the number of Jews on the planet, than be concerned that Johanssen didn't have backbone or opportunity to say it in the first place. The "depicted" were artificially shown to say something good. The authors didn't hide that video was artificial; "art is a lie that makes us realize truth". The truth is that this is a message that needed to be sent when it was sent. My sensibilities are not disaffected, I think this is an awesome production.
Adam Sandler is a GREAT supporter of the State of Israel and Jews everywhere.
I’m almost 65. My “Greatest Generation” parents instilled in us the lessons of the Great Depression and World War II. My mother’s parents donated their porch railings for use in munitions. Her uncle worked nights at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. My dad and his brothers served in the US Army. His mother had a plot in a community “Victory Garden” in the Bronx. People were encouraged to grow their own vegetables so that the products from big farms could go to rations for the military.
Above all, my non-Jewish parents and grandparents talked about the horror of the Holocaust. They explained that Jews (and others, including the disabled) were rounded up and murdered for no reason. They were proud of playing there part in the Allied victory over Fascism.
Your parents were right besides Jews and the disabled there was a whole list that the Nazis( may their name be erased) deemed these people subhuman and were on the list to be killed, in Israel in Yad Vashem they have more information about the subject, there were 6 million Jews murdered and 5 million non Jews murdered during the Holocaust
Yes but as Jews point out Jews were the only ethnic group that was slated for extermination by the Nazises. The other groups were based on factors that had nothing to do with their ethnicity. Like people who were homosexuals or mentally disabled.
Actually, there were Romas( better known as Gypsies) that were in concentration camps with my mom( obm) if other minorities or other ethnicities were in Nazi( may their name be erased) Germany during the Holocaust they would of been targeted too, in Yad Vashem in Israel there is a list of who the Nazis( may their name be erased) deemed subhuman or worst to live( they would of been nurdered too), they wanted a Aryan race with blonde hair and blue eyes and some Jews had this look, I know about the Holocaust because my mom( obm) was there, and if you go on sites about the Holocaust it would say who would be on the list to be murdered
Thank your parents and grandparents for teaching right, my mom( obm) was a Holocaust Survivor
A simple test to see if one has antisemitic views is to replace the word "Jew" with "Black" in your negative views. ie, I believe Jews control the world- I believe Blacks control the world. If you only agree to the negative statement about Jews, then your views may be antisemitic. People aren't born antisemitic. People adopt antisemitic views. Eventually they will be punished for them.
People's views can change in either direction. Try to understand why people are antisemitic. One reason may be because people resent the "Goodie Goodie". Jews represent Hash-m and His laws. They rationalize - if Jews follow G-d's Torah - then I must do the same thing & I can't so I hate. Really non-Jews must follow the 7 Noahide laws according to Torah to get a place in Heaven- easier than Jews Laws.
Actually, if Kanye West( may his name be erased) was in Nazi( may their name be erased) Germany during the Holocaust he( may his name be erased) would of gone to be killed before even Jews, this empty bottles plus the black leader from the nation of Islam and Candance Owen( may all their names be erased) if these ignorant anti semites would look at the list who the Nazis ( may their name be erased) targeted as subhuman blacks and other minorities would of been on the list, in a ironic twist the picture of the perfect Aryan was actually a Jewsih person which is a true story, if these ignorant bigots would learn more about the Holocaust they wouldn't praise Hitler( may his name be erased) and not Mengele( may his name be erased) because they would of been targeted too,
Hitler at least acknowledged that Jews were human. In his mind people of African descent were not even human. He complained that Jesse Ownes should not have gotten any awards in the 1936 Olympics (irronically sponsered by Germany) because Ownes was not a "human".
The Nazis( may their name be erased) wanted the Aryan look blonde hair and blue eyes and some Jews had this look, but the empty bottles anti Semitic bigots do not even know their were also on the list as subhuman, and some Jews could of hid in plain sight, actually my mom( obm) was a Holocaust Survivor so I know about the Holocaust and it is very sad that a lot of the society is anti Semitic like in Europe in the 1930/ 1940s a lot of Holocaust Survivors are not alive to see this tragedy, at least we have a country and some how have to get rid of the terrorists and the enemies of the Jewish people
Jews migrated from the middle east to Europe and in Europe mixed with the Europeans so that is why many of us look very European.
Yedidia, you are correct about the Noahide laws. But it isn't so much a matter of "can't" as a matter of "don't want to [for whatever reason]" - if a person has a legitimate issue with doing something they are waived from the obligation. And knowing this is why they hate; otherwise they would just shrug it off.
There are black Jews by the way and not all of them are converts. In Ethopia there was a whole tribe of black Jews that were rescued by the Isrealies and now live in Isreal.
I know that, also Sephardic Jews are pretty dark too,
Amen
Some argue that liberal Jews remain silent on key issues, failing to raise their voices against figures like Kanye West. Meanwhile, Chuck Schumer is said to support the ICC’s stance against Israel’s leadership, and Jeff Bezos has reportedly donated over a million dollars to Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), an organization alleged to be linked to terrorist groups in Lebanon. From the perspective of many Israeli citizens, it appears that American Jews simply do no care
That is so not true!! Israelis have NO IDEA what American Jews have been going through. We are attacked daily by anti-Israel demonstrators-- it's NOT just on college campuses-- and attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions are up over 1,000%. We demonstrate FOR Israel. And we get attacked for doing so. But it doesn't show up in the media. A lot of my friends talk about making aliyah. It's VERY expensive to do so, and the vetting process is long and complicated, one thing being an FBI background check! Believe me, if I could afford it, I'd be on the next plane!!
And then there is trump. Israelis LOVE trump!!! We American Jews feel betrayed by Israelis because of that! This man lives by Mein Kampf, knows it by heart. He is destroying the U.S., but you believe his lies!!
You're one deluded lady!
The only president who gave an ultimatum to Hamas was Pr Trump. Biden betrayed the Jewish people by sending $27 billion (from2021-2024) to Gaza
and stopping weapons from reaching Israel.
Rivka you are a liberal "Jew", you have contributed to the destruction of Israel
SHAME ON YOU AND THE PEOPLE LIKE YOU,
I agree with you, why do some Jews have a problem with Trump and not Biden, Harris or Obama
I have often argued that Trump is more like Stalin than Hitler. Stalin murdered more people than Hitler but unlike Hitler he was not obssesed with destroying all Jews. Russia to this day has over three million Jews living in that country. Putin probably has Jewish ancestry through his biological father. Putin is NOT a Jew, but his biological father was ethnically Jewish even if his father was NOT a practicing Jew.
There are self-hating Jews and Jews who just want to be part of the "in"-group - those are the ones who are openly anti-Israel. Then there are those who misunderstand the situation, for various reasons. And the group which truely doesn't care because they see themselves as American and Jews only by incidence without interest in their Jewish heritage. Aish HaTorah was created to reach out to them all. Don't despair.
Jeff Bezos sent $1 million to a JVP(Jewish Voice of Peace)a bogus organization based in Lebanon and controlled by the terrorist group called Hizballah,
That is a hateful terrorist group
Jeff Bezos is an American citizen, a native of Florida. Not sorry to respond rudely.
GREAT piece!
Kanye, a black Nazi? Hahaha 🤣 poorly minded
You should perhaps research the topic a bit before making ill-informed and frankly ignorant comments.
I think the person is right, the way Keyne West talks about Jews seems to paint a picture like it, also I am a child of a Holocaust Survivor( obm) and some of these black anti semites seem like Nazis( may their name be erased) that are black, but according to the Nazi( may their name be erased) list they are considered subhuman or worst these minorities would of been murdered even before Jews would of been, I am far from ignorant or ill informed I know a lot about the Holocaust, these empty bottles are the ones that are ignorant and ill informed, why are you trying to defend them, I think you should research the subject yourself, maybe you should research about the Holocaust and then make comments, the Holocaust started with words and anti Semitic cartoons before murdering
It’s possible, maybe even probable, that most don’t know their images have been used. I suspect that these people are too busy to be scrolling YouTube. And being celebrities they are probably used to being referenced publicly and don’t bother keeping track of every reference.
Scarlett Johansson calls for AI laws after fake video of celebrities condemning Kanye West’s antisemitism goes viral
Yes, and quite rightly.
So what?
So that is a reason some may not have reacted. Others may not care or may actually agree with the video's content. For myself, even if I agreed with the sentiment I would not like to have my name and face used without my permission. (Luckily I'm not a celebrity.)
YISRAEL FOREVER ❣
Amen. Am Yisrael Chai