One year after stating that the Holocaust was not about race, Whoopi Goldberg has once again sparked controversy by reiterating this view in a recent interview. This has led to backlash from activists, who have described the comments as “incendiary” and “deeply offensive.”
Whoopi Goldberg recently sparked controversy again with her comments about Jews and race on her talk show The View, where she stated that the Holocaust “wasn’t originally” about race. This follows her apology earlier this year for similar comments. The 67-year-old faced criticism for implying that the approximately 6 million Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust from 1933 to 1945 were not targeted because of their race.
During an interview with The Sunday Times, Whoopi stated that the oppressor tries to define who you are and questions why anyone would believe them. She reminded me that the Nazis originally targeted those who were physically or mentally impaired, rather than solely focusing on race. Whoopi pointed out that it was a conscious decision for the oppressors to shift their focus toward racial persecution.
Actor Whoopi Goldberg, who won an Academy Award, argued that individuals of African descent were also targeted by the Nazis during the Holocaust and that Jews had an advantage in blending in with white people and avoiding detection. When a reporter mentioned that the Nazis used head and nose measurements to “prove” Jewish distinctness, Goldberg responded that this does not change the fact that Jews were more difficult to identify on the street compared to Black people. Goldberg added that her comments were received as if she had “taken a big old stinky dump on the table, b*** naked.”
Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted that Whoopi Goldberg’s comments about the Holocaust and race are offensive and ignorant. He also mentioned that earlier this year, he had explained how the Nazi regime was racist.
The comments made by Whoopi Goldberg regarding the Holocaust and race were met with criticism and backlash from Jewish activists and the community. The CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, tweeted that Goldberg’s comments were “deeply offensive and incredibly ignorant” and called for her to apologize and educate herself on the true nature of antisemitism. The Times of Israel described the comments as “incendiary,” while International Legal Forum CEO Arsen Ostrovsky tweeted that Goldberg was an “ignorant fool.” Holocaust survivor Lucy Lipiner, author of Long Journey Home, also criticized Goldberg for using the Holocaust as a “punching bag” and not caring about the harm caused by her comments.
Lucy Lipiner, a survivor of the Holocaust, expresses her frustration with Whoopi Goldberg’s ongoing use of the Holocaust as a punchline. Lipiner states that despite being told that Goldberg’s comments cause harm, she does not seem to care. Lipiner refuses to let Goldberg, who she refers to as a “comedy has-been” with a “fake Jewish name,” get the better of her.
In response to the criticism of her comments, Whoopi Goldberg issued a statement apologizing and clarifying her intentions. She stated that it was never her intention to appear as if she was supporting hurtful comments and that she has listened to the input of rabbis and friends. She emphasized that she deeply regrets upsetting and angering people, and reiterated her strong support for the Jewish community. Goldberg stated that the Holocaust was about race and that she will always stand with the Jewish people, even in the face of increasing antisemitism.
