Whoopi Goldberg apologises for saying Holocaust 'isn't about race'

Whoopi Goldberg Wants Doctor Who Role But BBC Bosses Turned Her Down

Whoopi Goldberg Wants Doctor Who Role But BBC Bosses Turned Her Down. image: twitter

US talk show host and actress Whoopi Goldberg sparked controversy yesterday with her remarks that the “holocaust isn’t about race”, a comment she has since offered her “sincerest apologies” for.

Goldberg co-hosts The View on the American network ABC, said in her online apology that Jewish people around the world have “always had my support”.
The controversy was started when she claimed the historic atrocity was about “man’s inhumanity to man”, a disagreement between two groups of white people.
She made the comments on the show during a discussion about a Tennessee school board’s decision to ban Pulitzer prize-winning Holocaust graphic novel Maus.
In a statement on Twitter she said: “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.
“As Jonathan Greenblatt from of the Anti-Defamation League shared, ‘The Holocaust was about the Nazi’s systematic annihilation of the Jewish people – who they deemed to be an inferior race’. I stand corrected.
“The Jewish people around the world have always had my support and that will never (waver). I am sorry for the hurt I have caused.
“Written with my sincerest apologies. Whoopi Goldberg.”
In the original discussion, Goldberg said: “Let’s be truthful, the Holocaust isn’t about race, it’s not.”
“It’s about man’s inhumanity to man, that’s what it’s about. These are two groups of white people.”
She continued: “You’re missing the point… let’s talk about it for what it really is. It’s about how people treat each other.
“It’s a problem. It doesn’t matter if you’re black or white, Jews…everybody eats each other.”
Her comments were condemned by activists online as “dangerous” following the show’s broadcast.
Responding to her comments Mr Greenblatt, the ADL’s Chief Executive, said: “No Whoopi Goldberg…(the Nazis) dehumanized them and used this racist propaganda to justify slaughtering 6 million Jews.
“Holocaust distortion is dangerous.”
StopAntisemitism.org said Goldberg’s comments had “minimised” the trauma and suffering caused by the atrocity.
“Newsflash @WhoopiGoldberg six million of us were gassed, starved and massacred because we were deemed an inferior race by the Nazis,” the organisation wrote.
“How dare you minimize our trauma and suffering?”
Some believe that Goldberg’s comments were taken out of context as she is right that it is about man’s inhumanity towards others, however to suggest it wasn’t about race when the Nazi’s clearly stated it was has put her directly in the firing line.


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Written by

Peter McLaren-Kennedy

Originally from South Africa, Peter is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for the Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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