On the 23rd anniversary of the Million Man March, organizer Louis Farrakhan was in Detroit, Michigan delivering yet another vile speech. A video he posted online showed him standing at the pulpit receiving applause and laughter while he compared Jewish people to “termites” and called Jews “stupid.”
The video was shared on Facebook and on Twitter, with Facebook eventually removing the video from Farrakhan’s page because it amounted to “Tier 1 hate speech” according to one Facebook representative.
In contrast, Twitter’s “hateful conduct policy” proved to be meaningless. Twitter assessed whether anti-Semitic language was reason enough to suspend Louis Farrakhan’s account. The video of Farrakhan was shared on Twitter with the caption “I’m not an anti-Semite. I’m anti-Termite.”
Twitter has repeatedly claimed to promote “healthy conversation” and remove “dehumanizing language.” But when questioned about the Farrakhan video, Twitter spokesperson stated that the “policy on dehumanizing language has not yet been implemented.” Even if this reason were a logical defense to allow “dehumanizing language,” why has Twitter been so quick to suspend or remove even less controversial tweets coming from conservatives?
In response to Farrakhan’s language and Twitter’s susequent failure to act appropriately, we have rounded up statements from Jewish leaders and influential conservatives and included them below.
“Louis Farrakhan has always been beneath contempt as regards his appallingly racist view of the Jewish people. He deserves no seat in civilized society. While open debate on issues is the hallmark of American freedom and liberty, ill-bred narrow-mindedness has no place in any discussion. Twitter should be ashamed of itself for hiding behind the fence of "the new rules weren't in place yet" justify its failure to recognize and remove this bigoted cockalorum from its site.”
-- Matthew Brooks, Executive Director, Republican Jewish Coalition“Jews, along with all Americans, are best served by constitutional fealty and it is the First Amendment to the Constitution that happily makes America one of the few nations not to criminalize what is called “hate-speech.” The reason I say “happily” is because we Jews would rapidly become hate-speech legislation’s first victims, as teaching certain Biblical chapters is made illegal.
In America, Louis Farrakhan may freely utter his opinions about Jews, and being a private sector company, Twitter may freely choose to publish those opinions. But Twitter betrays its moral mendacity by providing Farrakhan with a megaphone while banning many voices like the Christian blogger, Elizabeth Johnston, for opposing the sexualization of young children by Teen Vogue magazine. Americans would be better served by a Twitter that practiced no censorship at all. And Twitter would be better off too.”
--Rabbi Daniel Lapin, American Alliance of Jews and Christians“Poison gas is how you usually deal with termites, suggesting Farrakhan is endorsing another Holocaust for Jews. What is even more shocking is that the political establishment seems just fine with it all. Farrakhan must be repudiated. Those in public life who don’t do that make themselves complicit in his hate-mongering and must be repudiated, too.”
-- Frank Gaffney, President, Center for Security Policy“Farrakhan gleefully echoes Nazi language, which routinely dehumanized Jews. The fact that he stood with Bill Clinton at Aretha Franklin’s funeral is an indication of how normalized Jew-hatred has become, thanks to the left and its embrace of the Palestinian jihad against Israel.
And while Twitter bans conservatives for innocuous remarks or for no reason at all, Farrakhan’s account remains - once again showing that on the left, Jew-hatred is the new normal.”
-- Pamela Geller, Co-founder, Freedom Defense Initiative“Farrakhan is feeling more empowered today to express his hatred of Jews than he has for many years. And this makes sense. His star has definitely risen of late. Women's March leaders Linda Sarsour and Tamika Mallory sing his praises. Former president Bill Clinton sat next to him at Aretha Franklin's funeral. And the Democrats elected three Congressional candidates in their primaries who seek to end the US alliance with Israel.
Farrakhan made his Nazi-like attack on Jews this week because he figures he will get away with it. Twitter's refusal to block him from the platform forever is simply further evidence that the Democrats and their radical supporters are now more comfortable with anti-Jewish racists than any party in the US has ever been.
It can only be hoped that Farrakhan's statement will be a wake up call for responsible Democrats to put their partisan house in order. But given the silence of leaders like Senators Schumer, Gillibrand, Booker, Sanders, Feinstein and Warren, not to mention the likes of Al Sharpton, it is hard to imagine that happening any time soon.”
-- Caroline Glick, Columnist, Jerusalem Post“Louis Farrakhan, true to form, has once again indulged his obsessive hatred of Jews, describing Jews as termites –– a disgusting piece of anti-Semitic imagery which would be entirely at home in Nazi propaganda material that used to depict Jews as vermin and other destructive and repulsive agents.
It takes malice or obtuseness on the part of Twitter to decide that Farrakhan’s gutter language about Jews doesn’t contravene it’s Hateful Conduct Policy, which supposedly prohibits attacks on people based on, among other things, race, religious affiliation and national origin.”
-- Morton Klein, President, Zionist Organization of America
