Eagles' DeSean Jackson says he doesn't hate Jews after sharing anti-Semitic quotes attributed to Adolf Hitler
DeSean Jackson is facing backlash after sharing anti-Semitic quotes on his Instagram account. The 33-year-old wide receiver for Philadelphia Eagles shared one quote often attributed to German dictator Adolf Hitler, as well as excerpts from a speech by the controversial Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, who is known to “routinely accuse Jews of manipulating the U.S. government and controlling the levers of world power,” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The quote shared by Jackson appeared to be from Hitler, but its origins haven't been confirmed.
"Because the white Jews knows that the Negroes are the real Children of Israel and to keep America's secret the Jews will blackmail America," the quote said. "[They] will extort America, their plan for world domination won't work if the Negroes know who they were. The white citizens of America will be terrified to know that all this time they've been mistreating and discriminating and lynching the Children of Israel."
The NFL star responded to the backlash on Monday and tried to clarify his intent by re-posting an image of the quote with his own caption. “Anyone who feels I have hate towards the Jewish community took my post the wrong way,” Jackson wrote. “I have no hatred in my heart towards no one!! Equality equality.”
Jackson, however, has also shared posts about Farrakhan, once writing in the caption that "this man powerful[.] I hope everyone got a chance to watch this !! Don’t be blinded. Know what’s going on!!” According to Crossing Broad, Farrakhan's speech touched on police brutality, racism, and the novel coronavirus. However, it's worth noting that the 87-year-old has likened Jews to "termites" in the past.
Several prominent personalities condemned Jackson for his social media posts, one of them being former Eagles president Joe Banner. “If a white player said anything about [African Americans] 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,” Banner, who is Jewish, tweeted Monday. “Which would be totally appropriate. Absolutely indefensible.”
Jackson has also received pushback for denouncing Melinda Gates after she said demographics most vulnerable to COVID-19 should be among the first to get a vaccine. “In our country, that would be blacks and Native Americans,” she said. “Disgusting ass ppl !!” Jackson wrote as he shared a clip of her speech. “You get the vaccination first... dumb broad !!”
That said, a number of Eagles fans and fellow Philadelphians criticized Jackson's comments on Monday. "This Desean Jackson story is wild," Temple professor Marc Lamont Hill tweeted. "Apparently, he posted a quote that he believed to be from Hitler. This is disappointing and disturbing. There's no defending it."
Meanwhile, Phillies blogger Alex Carr said he could not let Jackson's remarks "slide."
"As a Jewish man and an Eagles fan, I am unfathomably appalled at what I saw on DeSean Jackson's Instagram story today," he wrote. "What pushes a person to read, digest, and post that, I'll never know. Despicable."
Jackson was with the Redskins from 2014 to 2016 and totaled 142 catches for 2,702 yards and 14 touchdowns. He led the NFL in yards per reception for two of his three seasons in Washington. Jackson is currently with The Eagles, who signed him to a three-year contract extension before the 2019 season. Considering, the team is yet to comment on the ongoing controversy.