Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson is facing intense backlash after sharing anti-Semitic quotes on his Instagram that he attributed to Adolf Hitler.
DeSean Jackson, posts a quote from Hitler, says he’s not anti-Semitic and then highlights the particularly anti-Semitic part.
As an Eagles fan, this is disgusting. Where is the response from the team and the NFL? pic.twitter.com/MFPmz0PyOY
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 7, 2020
via Complex:
As ESPN points out, the quote that Jackson attributed to Hitler was as follows: “[white Jews] will blackmail America. [They] will extort America, their plan for world domination won’t work if the Negroes know who they were.”
Later, Jackson shared two Instagram posts where he openly admired Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has been identified as anti-Semitic by the Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center
After facing backlash for his IG story, Jackson said the quote was taken “the wrong way.”
“Anyone who feels I have hate towards the Jewish community took my post the wrong way,” he wrote on his Story, alongside the same passage attributed to Hitler. “I have no hatred in my heart toward no one!! Equality. Equality.”
Jackson signed a three-year deal with the Eagles in March for his second stint with the team. While the Eagles have yet to respond to his posts, former team president Joe Banner, who is Jewish, called Jackson out on Twitter.
“If a white player said anything about AA’s as outrageous as what Desean Jackson said about Jews tonight there would at least be a serious conversation about cutting him and a need for a team meeting to discuss. Which would be totally appropriate. Absolutely indefensible,” he wrote.
Let’s be clear, anyone sharing quotes attributed to Hitler — in any context — is already in the wrong.
The Eagles have released an official statement on the incident:
Eagles’ statement on DeSean Jackson: pic.twitter.com/IPDUYpTRTJ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 7, 2020
Desean has also issued a video apology. Take a look:
