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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.

Josefin Dolsten is a New York-based writer who has reported for the Forward, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Times of Israel and other Jewish publications. She currently works as an account director at Fenton Communications, supporting organizations that work to advance racial justice, LGBTQ+ equality, reproductive rights and more. Dolsten earned her B.A. in government from Cornell University and her M.A. in comparative religion and Jewish studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

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