Kanye West's Twitter Account Has Been Suspended Again, This Time Because of Antisemitic Comments

JAKARTA - Twitter Inc on Friday, December 2 again suspended the account of Ye, the artist previously known as Kanye West. This suspension comes just two months after being reinstated, as Elon Musk said the rapper violated the platform's rules against incitement to violence.

Ye's account shows a notice that it is suspended, after one of his previous posts appeared with the swastika symbol inside the Star of David.

The billionaire owner of Twitter, who calls himself a free speech absolutist, has welcomed the rapper's return, now known as Ye, to the platform in October.

"I'm trying my best. Even so, he again violates our rules against incitement to violence, account will be suspended," Musk tweeted in response to a Twitter user who said "Elon Fix Kanye Please".

Ye, who had more than 30 million followers on Twitter prior to his suspension, did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

Musk in recent months has expressed a desire to have fewer restrictions on the content that can be posted on Twitter. He said last week the platform would grant a "general amnesty" for some suspended accounts.

Last month, Twitter reactivated several previously suspended accounts, including that of former US President Donald Trump.

It was not immediately clear whether Ye would be allowed back on Twitter and the company did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

Ye posted a screenshot on Trump's Truth Social platform, showing his Twitter account will be suspended for 12 hours.

The tweet controversy is the latest in a series of acts by the rapper and fashion designer that have sparked controversy. On Thursday, December 1, Ye praised the Nazi dictator, Adolf Hitler, in an interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on his online Infowars show.

"You've arrived with a new ensemble here with us, but I guarantee it's you," Jones said at the start of the interview in which Ye wore a black full-head mask covering his face as well as black gloves.

Ye and his representatives could not immediately be reached for comment on his Infowars appearance.

Several members of the US Republican Party immediately condemned Ye's comments.

US Republican representative in Iowa, Ashley Hinson, tweeted: "Kanye West's antisemitic comments today are disgusting. His pattern of antisemitic behavior is unacceptable and I condemn him in the strongest terms possible."

US President Joe Biden also appeared to address the issue in a tweet last Friday, without naming Ye specifically.

"I just want to make a few things clear: The Holocaust happened. Hitler was a satanic figure. And instead of giving him a platform, our political leaders should call for and reject antisemitism wherever it hides. Silence is complicity," Biden said in a tweet last Friday.

Alex Jones, who has faced backlash for his own controversial comments, filed for bankruptcy on Friday, less than two months after a jury ordered him and parent website Infowars to pay nearly $1 billion in damages to relatives of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting.

On Thursday, Ye also abandoned plans to buy Parler less than two months after announcing a deal for a social media platform popular among US conservatives.

Ye has been slammed by partners of major companies including Adidas AG and has had his posts deleted by platforms such as Instagram due to antisemitic comments and outbursts on social media against other celebrities.