Kyrie Irving disagrees with the implication he is anti-Semitic.
After the Nets star on Thursday tweeted a link to “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” a 2018 film that is filled with anti-Semitic disinformation, he began to receive blowback from his employers on Friday. A Rolling Stone story cited the film’s statements, including claims that “many famous high-ranking Jews” have “admitted” to “worship[ing] Satan or Lucife.” The report called the film “venomously anti-Semitic.”
“I am an OMNIST and I meant no disrespect to anyone’s religious beliefs,” Irving posted to Twitter on Saturday afternoon. “The ‘Anti-Semitic’ label that is being pushed on me is not justified and does not reflect the reality or truth I live in everyday. I embrace and want to learn from all walks of life and religions.”
That followed statements from both the Nets and team owner Joe Tsai denouncing Irving’s original tweet. The Nets have not punished Irving yet, however, and are instead looking to first speak with the point guard about his message.
“The Brooklyn Nets strongly condemn and have no tolerance for the promotion of any form of hate speech,” a team spokesman told The Post on Friday. “We believe that in these situations, our first action must be open, honest dialogue. We thank those, including the ADL [Anti-Defamation League], who have been supportive during this time.”
Later Friday, Tsai tweeted: “I’m disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-semitic disinformation. I want to sit down and make sure he understands this is hurtful to all of us, and as a man of faith, it is wrong to promote hate based on race, ethnicity or religion.”
The film is based on a book written in 2015 by Ronald Dalton, who also wrote and directed the movie. In a description on the Amazon Video website, through the link Irving tweeted, the movie is asserted to uncover “what Islam, Judaism and Christianity has covered up for centuries in regards to the true biblical identity of the so-called ‘Negro’ in this movie packed with tons of research.”
The film resembles ideology of the Black Hebrew Israelites, claiming to show the “true identity of the Children of Israel.”
The Nets lost 129-125 to the Mavericks in overtime Thursday night — just hours after Irving tweeted the link to the film. Irving was set to play Saturday night in a clash against the Pacers.
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