DeSean Jackson Image by Getty

By Ari Feldman July 7, 2020

A screenshot of DeSean Jackson’s post sharing a quote attributed to Adolf Hitler. Image by Instagram/DeSean Jackson

DeSean Jackson, a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles football team, posted quotes attributed to Adolf Hitler before later saying he has no “hate towards the Jewish community.”

On Monday, Jackson shared a quote falsely attributed to Hitler on his Instagram Stories. The quote, which has been deemed inauthentic by the fact-checking site Snopes, states that “because the white Jews knows that the Negroes are the real Children of Israel and to keep Americas secret the Jews will blackmail America.”

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“They will extort America, their plan for world domination won’t work if the Negroes know who they are,” the quote continues.

In the image Jackson shared, those quotes were highlighted in orange.

The quote also evokes a strain of anti-Semitism that insists Africans and their descendants are the “true” Israelites while those who identify as Jewish are imposters.

Jackson has also shared quotes from Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader who has made repeated virulently anti-Semitic statements. (Farrakhan recently responded to accusations of anti-Semitic in a Fourth of July address.)

Responding to criticism on social media, Jackson later reposted the quote with a message reading, “Anyone who feels I have hate towards the Jewish community took my post the wrong way.”

“I have no hatred in my heart towards no one!” he said in another post.

Jackson’s comments prompted numerous critical comments on social media, including from Joe Banner, the Jewish former president of the Eagles.

In a tweet, Banner suggested that there should be a “serious conversation” about cutting Jackson from the team.

If a white player said anything about AA’s 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. Which would be totally appropriate. Absolutely indefensible.

— Joe Banner (@JoeBanner13) July 7, 2020

Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @aefeldman

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