Whoopi Goldberg apologises after facing criticism over holocaust remarks ( Photo Credit – Wikimedia )
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Hollywood star Whoopi Goldberg has offered an apology after facing criticism from the Anti-Defamation League, the US Holocaust Museum and other Jewish organisations for her remarks on the latest episode of ‘The View’, in which she stated that the Holocaust was “not about race”, reports variety.com.
“On today’s show, I said the Holocaust ‘is not about race, but about man’s inhumanity to man’. I should have said it is about both,” Goldberg wrote in a statement shared on her social media.
“The Jewish people around the world have always had my support and that will never waiver. I’m sorry for the hurt I have caused,” said Whoopi Goldberg.
Earlier on Monday, Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, responded to ‘The View’ co-hosts comments on Twitter, calling Whoopi Goldberg’s remarks “dangerous.”
“The Holocaust was about the Nazi’s systemic annihilation of the Jewish people — who they deemed to be an inferior race,” wrote Greenblatt.
“They dehumanised them and used their racist propaganda to justify slaughtering 6 million Jews. Holocaust distortion is dangerous.”
Whoopi Goldberg’s comments came during a discussion on the programme regarding a Tennessee school board’s ban of “Maus,” a nonfiction graphic novel about cartoonist Art Spiegelman’s father’s experience surviving the Holocaust.
“Let’s be truthful about it because (the) Holocaust isn’t about race,” Goldberg said on Monday’s episode.
“It’s not about race. It’s about man’s inhumanity to man… These are two white groups of people. The minute you turn it into race it goes down this alley. Let’s talk about it for what it is.”
“It’s (about) how people treat each other. It doesn’t matter if you’re Black or white, Jews — it’s each other.”
Whoopi Goldberg’s comments sparked immediate, sweeping criticism from Jewish organisations, including the US Holocaust Museum and StopAntisemitism.org.
“Six million of us were gassed, starved and massacred because we were deemed an inferior race by the Nazis,” StopAntisemitism.org wrote on Twitter.
“How dare you minimize our trauma and suffering!”
Although the Holocaust Museum did not cite Goldberg by name, the organisation shared a statement that “racism was central to Nazi ideology” on Monday afternoon.
Whoopi Goldberg’s remarks have also drawn criticism from Jewish figures in entertainment.
Michael Rapaport shared a video of himself in which he calls out ‘The View’ co-host.
“You need to apologize. You need to explain yourself,” Rapaport stated.
