The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) calls on Fox to fire television host Nick Cannon for his recent antisemitic comments, including praising Louis Farrakhan, a vicious anti-Semite who has described Hitler as “a very great man” and compared Jews to termites. While Cannon eventually apologized for his remarks, he failed to renounce and retract his praise for Farrakhan. Unless he does so, Fox should cut ties with Cannon immediately, as ViacomCBS appropriately did last Tuesday.
On a recent episode of his podcast “Cannon’s Class,” Cannon spoke with rapper Richard Griffin, known as Professor Griff, about Griff’s 1989 dismissal from the hip-hop group Public Enemy. The dismissal resulted from Griffin’s antisemitic statements about the power and “wickedness” of Jews.
On Cannon’s podcast, Griffin doubled down on his antisemitic remarks. Cannon said, “You’re speaking facts. There’s no reason to be scared of anything when you’re speaking the truth.” Cannon also referred to conspiracy theories about the Rothschilds, a Jewish banking family. In addition, he praised the anti-Semite Farrakhan, saying that “every time I’ve heard him speak, it’s positive, it’s powerful, it’s uplifting,” and that Farrakhan “has been demonized.”
In firing Cannon last week, ViacomCBS stated that “we are deeply troubled that Nick has failed to acknowledge or apologize for perpetuating antisemitism.” Cannon apologized after ViacomCBS’s decision.
Shockingly, Fox decided to retain Cannon as host of its televisions show “The Masked Singer.” In a statement last Wednesday, Fox said that Cannon had apologized and “quickly taken steps to educate himself and make amends.”
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein criticized Fox’s decision, stating, “If Cannon doesn’t publicly retract his praise for vicious Jew hater, and Israel hater Louis Farrakhan and publicly renounce this abhorrent anti-Semite, then Cannon’s limited forced apology has little credibility. If he doesn’t, then Fox should cut ties with Cannon, to make it clear that Fox truly has zero tolerance for antisemitism, the world’s oldest and longest hatred.”