“The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg thanked the Andi-Defamation League and promised Stephen Colbert to change her thinking after saying the Holocaust was not about race during a discussion Monday morning on the ABC talk show.
Miss Goldberg, who had apologized in a tweet Monday night, repeated the apology in an appearance on CBS’ “The Late Show” later that evening.
She also thanked Jonathan Greenblatt, executive director of the Anti-Defamation League, for correcting her earlier that day.
Mr. Greenblatt tweeted Monday afternoon that the Holocaust was about the Nazis’ “systematic annihilation of the Jewish people — who they deemed to be an inferior race.”
“They dehumanized them and used this racist propaganda to justify slaughtering 6 million Jews,” Mr. Greenblatt wrote. “Holocaust distortion is dangerous.”
After Miss Goldberg tweeted, “I stand corrected,” Mr. Greenblatt thanked her late Monday.
“As antisemitism surges to historic levels, I hope we can work together to combat ignorance of that horrific crime and the hate that threatens all,” he tweeted.
However, Miss Goldberg also told Mr. Colbert on the “Late Show” that she refused to “fake apologize” for saying that White people could not be racist against other White people because “you couldn’t tell who was Jewish.”
“I was very upset that people misunderstood what I was saying,” she said on the CBS show, adding that she would “work hard not to think that way again.”
Earlier in the evening, Miss Goldberg wrote in a tweet: “On today’s show, I said the Holocaust ’is not about race, but about man’s inhumanity to man. I should have said it is about both.”
Miss Goldberg, who has claimed Jewish ancestry, made her comments on her ABC show as the co-hosts discussed a Tennessee school board’s banning of “Maus,” a graphic novel about the Nazi death camps, over its inclusion of nudity and profanity.
“I’m surprised that’s what made you uncomfortable, the fact that there was some nudity,” Ms. Goldberg said. “I mean, it’s about the Holocaust, the killing of 6 million people, but that didn’t bother you? If you’re going to do this, then let’s be truthful about it. Because the Holocaust isn’t about race. No, it’s not about race.”
Co-host Joy Behar challenged Miss Goldberg’s comment, pointing out that the Nazis targeted Jews for extermination by branding them as an inferior race.
“But it’s not about race. It’s not. It’s about man’s inhumanity to other men,” Miss Goldberg replied.
“But it’s about White supremacy,” said co-host Ana Navarro. “It’s about going after Jews and Gypsies and Roma.”
Miss Goldberg said: “But these are two White groups of people.”
She doubled down when co-host Sara Haines said the Nazis didn’t see Jewish people as White.
“But you’re missing the point!” Miss Goldberg said. “The minute you turn it into race, it goes down this alley. Let’s talk about it for what it is. It’s how people treat each other. It’s a problem.”
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.
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