Amazon is not planning to remove a controversial antisemitic film from its platform, even after promoting the title earned NBA star Kyrie Irving a suspension from the Brooklyn Nets. Hebrews to Negroes: Wake up Black America will continue to be available for rental and purchase on Amazon’s Prime Video, according to recent comments from company CEO Andy Jassy.
The film, which includes theories about Jewish people controlling the media and claims that the Holocaust never happened, has created a swirl of controversy since Irving first posted a link to it on Twitter back in October. The movie and the book that preceded it are still available on Amazon, and Jassy seemed to imply they’ll remain there for the near future.
When asked about the film by Andrew Ross Sorkin at The New York Times‘ DealBook Summit on Wednesday (Nov. 30), Jassy did not confirm or deny if Amazon would continue to sell the film and book, and did not address whether the company would add a disclaimer.
“We have hundreds of millions of customers with lots of different viewpoints,” Jassy said, per The Hill. He added, “And inside the company, we won’t tolerate hate or discrimination or harassment, but we also recognize as a retailer of content to hundreds of millions of customers with lots of different viewpoints, we have to be willing to allow access to those viewpoints even if they are objectionable and even if they differ from our own personal viewpoints.”
During their conversation, Sorkin told Jassy he is Jewish and said he is uncomfortable with the film.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t like it. I’m worried about antisemitism,” he said. “I’m worried about what we’re seeing across the country, across the globe. I think some of it may not incite violence in the moment but could lead to it.”
Jassy replied that he, too, is Jewish, telling Sorkin, “I’m worried about antisemitism, and I find several parts of that content very objectionable, but I think you have to have principles if you’re going to manage something as large as we do.”
Last month, Amazon and Barnes & Noble were pressured to remove the film and book when a group of over 200 people signed a letter from the nonprofit Creative Community for Peace. Among the figures who signed the letter were Mila Kunis, Debra Messing and Mayim Bialik.
“At a time in America where there are more per capita hate crimes against Jews than any other minority, overwhelmingly more religious-based hate crimes against the Jewish people than any other religion, and more hate crimes against the Jewish people in New York than any other minority, where a majority of American Jews live, it is unacceptable to allow this type of hate to foment on your platforms,” the letter reads, in part.
