Europe 1 11:22 a.m., December 27, 2023

American rapper Kanye West apologized to the Jewish community on Tuesday, a year after anti-Semitic remarks sparked outrage and ended lucrative business deals between major brands such as Adidas and the musician.

"I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any outrage caused by my words or actions. It was not my intention to shock or disrespect and I truly regret any pain I may have caused," he wrote on his Hebrew-language Instagram account, as his new album "Vultures" is set to be released on January 12.

"Actions speak louder than words"

The musician, who goes by Ye, says he wants to work on the issue and "learn from this experience to have more sensitivity and understanding in the future." The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a leading U.S. anti-Semitism group, greeted the statement with caution.

"Actions will speak louder than words, but this first act of contrition is welcome," the association commented on X (formerly Twitter), recalling the "incalculable damage" caused by the singer who was able via his celebrity to "poison countless minds with vicious anti-Semitism and hatred."

In the fall of 2022, Kanye West, who says he suffers from bipolar disorder, made several anti-Semitic statements. In an interview a year ago, he said he saw "positive things also about Hitler," "we have to stop insulting the Nazis all the time. (...) I love the Nazis."

Controversy upon controversy

Shortly before, the rapper had displayed the slogan "White Lives Matter" during a fashion show in Paris, hijacking the name of the anti-racist movement "Black Lives Matter". He also went to a dinner at Donald Trump's house in the presence of a white supremacist.

Kanye West then had his Twitter account suspended for "incitement to violence" after he posted an image of a swastika intertwined with a Star of David -- his account has since been reinstated by the social network that became X.

In the aftermath, the clothing brand Adidas decided to break its collaboration with the artist, one of the most successful in the fashion world with the Yeezy sneaker collection. The American ready-to-wear chain Gap and fashion house Balenciaga had also cut ties. He wrote in March that watching actor Jonah Hill in the movie "21 Jump Street" made him "love Jews again."