Updated 10 July 2020 at 17:14 IST
Jewish NFL stars lash out at DeSean Jackson for anti-Semitic posts
NFL players like Julian Edelman, Zach Banner, Mitchell Schwartz and Cameron Heyward spoke against DeSean Jackson's recent anti-Semitic posts.
On Saturday, DeSean Jackson shared a quote on his Instagram handle, attributed to Hitler. The post stated that Jews "will blackmail America. (They) will extort America, their plan for world domination won't work if the Negroes know who they were." The Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver further shared various posts while talking about his admiration for Louis Farrakhan, who is labelled as an anti-Semite by the Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center. While Jackson promptly deleted his posts, various NFL players like Julian Edelman, Zach Banner, Mitchell Schwartz and Cameron Heyward spoke against Jackson, calling him out for his posts.
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What did DeSean Jackson say? How did the NFL react to Jackson's posts?
Anti-Semitism is defined as the hostile behaviour towards Jews and believing that the Jewish community is inferior to others. This could also include various prejudiced views against Jews. The NFL released a statement regarding Jackson's posts on Tuesday, stating that his words and posts were "highly inappropriate, offensive and divisive." They added that his values do not fit well with NFL's views of "respect, equality and inclusion." Jackson apologised with two different posts – a video on Instagram and a statement on Twitter. "This apology is more than just words - it is a promise to do better," Jackson wrote. "I will fully educate myself and work with local and national organizations to be more informed and make a difference in our community. I will consider my words and actions going forward. I will seek out voices from other communities and listen to their words, thoughts and beliefs.
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New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman addressed the controversy by posting a video on Instagram. As one of the few Jewish NFL players, Edelman offered to take Jackson to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC. Edelman added that he is proud of his heritage and revealed that he was at the receiving end of a Jewish slur in 2011.
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Zach Banner also spoke up against the issue, stating that his video was more about "educating ourselves" and not about Jackson and his comment. Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz also posted his comments on Twitter, stating that this could be could a good opportunity for the Jewish community and Black Lives Matter movement to stand together. Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward called out DeSean Jackson, labelling his posts 'wrong'.
DeSean Jackson Hitler post apology video: What did DeSean Jackson say in his post?
Also read | Stephen Jackson faces backlash for defending DeSean Jackson Hitler post about Jewish NFL players
(Image source: AP)
Published By : Devika Pawar
Published On: 10 July 2020 at 17:14 IST