Whoopi Goldberg apologizes for saying the Holocaust has nothing to do with race

Actress Whoopi Goldberg has apologized for saying the Holocaust has nothing to do with race, comments that have sparked a backlash.

She made her initial remarks on ABC’s ”The View” on Monday morning. Her apology came in a tweet hours later.

“On today’s show, I said the Holocaust ‘is not about race, it’s about man’s inhumanity to man.’ I should say it’s about both. As Jonathan Greenblatt from the Anti-Defamation League shared, ‘The Holocaust was about the systematic extermination of the Jews by the Nazis, whom they considered an inferior race.’ I corrected the mistake,” Goldberg said.

“Jews around the world have always had my support and it will never give up. I apologize for the hurt I have caused. Written with my sincerest apologies, Whoopi Goldberg,” she said.

The hosts on “The View” discussed Tennessee school board’s ban on “Maus,” a graphic novel about the Nazi death camps of the Second World War. The board cited nudity and profanity as reasons for banning the book, which has won several literary awards, including a Pulitzer Prize.

“I’m surprised that’s what makes you uncomfortable, in fact there’s some nudity,” Goldberg said. I mean, it was about the Holocaust, which killed six million people, but doesn’t that bother you? If you’re going to do this, then be honest about it. Because the Holocaust has nothing to do with race. No, it’s not about race. ”

Joy Behar said that the Nazis said that the Jews were a different race.

“But it’s not about race. It cannot. It’s about human inhumanity towards others,” Goldberg replied.

Ana Navarro replied: “But it is about white supremacy. It was the hunt for the Jews, the Gypsies and the Roma. “

“But these are two groups of white people,” Goldberg said.

Sara Haines points out that the Nazis did not consider Jews to be white.

“But you’re missing the point!” Goldberg said. “As soon as you turn it into a race, it goes down this alley. Let’s talk about it for what it is. That’s how people treat each other. That’s a problem. ”

Greenblatt thanked Goldberg on Monday night.

“Thanks to @WhoopiGoldberg for correcting your previous statement and acknowledging the #Holocaust for what happened. As #antisemitis rises to historic levels, I hope we can all work together to fight the ignorance of that terrible crime and the hatred that threatens us all,” he said. tweeted.