Farrakhan’s Anti-Semitic Tweet Gets Deleted After Twitter Policy Change
Louis Farrakhan speaks onstage during Nipsey Hussle’s Celebration of Life at Staples Center on April 11, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Image by Getty Images
By Josefin Dolsten July 10, 2019
(JTA) — A 2018 tweet in which Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan compared Jews to termites was no longer available on Twitter.
On Tuesday, the social media platform introduced new rules prohibiting “language that dehumanizes others on the basis of religion.” Twitter said accounts that had posted such tweets prior to the policy change would have to delete offending tweets before being able to post new ones.
A screenshot of Louis Farrakhan’s anti-semitic 2018 tweet Image by @AJCGlobal
Farrakhan’s tweet was no longer available on the site as of Tuesday afternoon.
Last year the leader, who has a long history of making anti-Semitic and homophobic comments, wrote on Twitter, “I’m not an anti-Semite. I’m anti-Termite.” The tweet linked to a video of a speech he gave marking the 23rd anniversary of the Million Man March, his 1995 rally advocating empowerment for black men.
At the time, Facebook removed a similar post but Twitter said it did not violate its policies.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
