Yeezy shoe collectors are ‘panic selling’ following Kanye West’s antisemitic rants, say experts
A collection of Kanye West’s shoes may be in danger if he continues to make divisive comments about Jews, according to experts.
Following the star rapper’s anti-Israel speeches, fans have rushed to sell off their pairs of the Yeezy Boost 750s in the past week to avoid the fallout, with some now holding on to them to try to resell their collection at a later date.
The pair of Yeezy Boost 750s sold for £20,000 at the recent Paris Fashion Week in a private auction.
In an online video posted this week, West called Israel the “holocaust denier capital” of the world and said: “I hope they have the same fate as Hitler and Stalin and all the other murderers in this world.”
The star and his team have since apologized and deleted the controversial comments.
Speaking to TMZ, West’s spokesperson said: “We would like to apologize for offending anyone with his statements.
“The words he used are the actions of a privileged man who does not understand the severity of the situation in Israel. We are looking for ways to bring him back into a constructive and positive dialogue.”
In response, experts told MailOnline they were alarmed by the comments.
“It’s extremely concerning what he said, and very serious,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, a professor of Jewish studies.
“These sorts of anti-Semitic statements are dangerous, no matter how much of a celebrity they are, but this is especially worrying.”
Greenblatt’s colleague, Larry Auster, founder of the Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles, said: “The comments alone would amount to hate crimes. There are probably more Americans who would take offense from hearing such anti-Semitic comments than there are who actually would respond with violence.”
West, who is Jewish, has yet to comment on the controversy.
Greenblatt and Auster were among seven people who signed an open letter written by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
