After facing backlash for posting an anti-Semitic message on social media that was attributed to Adolf Hitler, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson has clarified that he does not hate Jews.
In a story post over the weekend, Jackson shared a mistake-filled quote that appeared to be from Hitler: “Because the white Jews knows that the Negros are the real Children of Israel and to keep Americas secret the Jews will blackmail America. The will extort America, their pan to 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 Children of Israel.” (The quote does not actually belong to Hitler.)
That post was part of an Independence Day weekend where Jackson, 33, apparently spent some time researching and listening to Louis Farrakhan (who has been identified as anti-Semitic and homophobic), as he posted about him several times.
After receiving criticism for his posts, the three-time Pro Bowl selection said the posts were taken “the wrong way.”
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
“Anyone who feels I have hate towards the Jewish community took my post the wrong way,” Jackson wrote in an Instagram story. “I have no hatred in my heart toward no one!! Equality.”
So far, the Eagles — who gave former wide receiver Riley Cooper a new contract after a video surfaced of him using racial slurs at a country music concert — have not commented on the situation. Former team president Joe Banner, who was still working for the team in 2008 when Jackson was drafted, has.
“If a white player said anything about AA’s [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 wrote on social media. “Which would be totally appropriate. Absolutely indefensible.”
Jackson is in the midst of his second stint with the Eagles after signing a three-year deal with the team last March. He exploded for 154 yards on eight catches and added a pair of touchdowns in Week 1 of last season, but was injured for the rest of the year and contributed almost nothing to the team.
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