Addressing Whoopi Goldberg Antisemitic Rhetoric
Whoopi Goldberg, a co-host of the talk show “The View” on American Broadcasting Company (ABC) News, is currently under scrutiny for making controversial comments about the Holocaust while addressing the banning of the graphic novel “Maus” in a Tennessee school district on Jan. 31. On “The View”, Goldberg expressed that “the Holocaust is not about race”; it was about “man’s inhumanity to man” (Yahoo News). This statement drew criticism from people because Adolf Hitler often referred to Jews as an “inferior race” during the Holocaust. As a result, Goldberg was given a two-week suspension by ABC News president Kim Godwin, even though Goldberg publicly apologized on air a day later. This situation displays a broader issue; like Goldberg, many people do not have a proper understanding of what happened during the Holocaust. Thus, education about the Holocaust and what constitutes antisemitism should be emphasized to prevent more harmful misconceptions from forming.
Some celebrities do not think Goldberg received a harsh enough punishment, especially since she returned to the show two days before her suspension was due to end. However, people who came to Goldberg’s defense mentioned how her comments were made because she was not educated enough on the topic, not because she is an antisemite. Jonathan Greenblatt, the national director and chief executive officer of the Anti-Defamation League, commented on the late-night talk show “Don Lemon Tonight” that Goldberg should not be canceled simply because she made a mistake. Greenblatt’s mindset is what causes people to believe that they can get away with making offensive comments; not acknowledging that a comment was offensive is equivalent to people not learning from their actions.
“People have done less and gotten in more trouble, and people have done worse and gotten in more trouble,” World History and Advanced Placement European History teacher Donald Frazier said. “I am surprised [that] she came back in less than two weeks.”
Unfortunately, there has been a global rise in antisemitism over the course of the past couple years during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; for instance, people protested against COVID-19 vaccine mandates by wearing yellow Star of David patches. According to National Broadcasting Company (NBC) News, in November, protesters stood outside Jewish New York Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz’s office to speak out against a bill that requires children to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend school. To the Jewish community, the yellow Star of David patch is a symbol of oppression, as Jews were forced to wear these badges during the Holocaust to differentiate their social statuses. If Jewish people were found without the badges, they would be punished with beatings or even death. Protesters wearing the Star of David and comparing vaccine mandates to the oppression that Jews experienced during the Holocaust is highly inappropriate. Between 1941 and 1945, more than six million people were murdered simply for being Jewish; people using this symbol to protest against vaccine mandates that are in place for health and safety reasons shows their deliberate antisemitism
“Learning about the Holocaust in school is very important so that events like the Holocaust will not repeat in the future,” freshman Stella Schwab said. “If people were not educated, they would make the same mistakes.”
Goldberg’s comments on “The View” were tone-deaf and demonstrated what society needs to work on as a whole. The Holocaust is fading from public consciousness, and the recent rise in antisemitism deserves more attention. Education and awareness about the Holocaust should be more widespread, especially among the general public. Ignorance is dangerous, as it can lead to future atrocities.“Do not focus on [Goldberg’s comments] as the central aspect of antisemitism,” senior Saul Munn said. “View this as an aspect of a general, broad increase in antisemitism.”
