Liberal website HuffPost sparked backlash on Friday after plastering their front page with the Jewish word “goy” in reference to newly fired White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.
“Goy” is a Jewish word used to refer to non-Jews. Several White House aides including Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump (who are also the president’s son-in-law and daughter, respectively), National Economic Council director Gary Cohn and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are Jewish. Bannon is not Jewish.
HuffPost editor in chief Lydia Green claimed the banner “was intended to be a mashup tribute to Yiddish and Beyoncé.” He added: “Any other interpretation was completely unintended.”
New York Post editor Seth Mandel, who is Jewish, interpreted the banner as: “HuffPo decides to reinforce the conspiracy theory that the Joos are running things and are picking off their enemies one by one.”
HuffPost’s banner was met with widespread criticism.
As a Jew I’d rather not have media push the Jewish conspiracy angle of this, @HuffPost: pic.twitter.com/z0dzhltMbs
— Danny Gold (@DGisSERIOUS) August 18, 2017
I’m old enough to remember when HuffPost was super concerned with antisemitism in America, a day ago pic.twitter.com/0B29uemFUa
— Harry Khachatrian (@Harry1T6) August 18, 2017
“I don’t get what Huffpost is trying to say with this? Do they think there are too many Jews in the Trump White House?” asked Houston Chronicle reporter Mike Glenn. “So confused.”
Say, @HuffPost, WTF? pic.twitter.com/zBmSw6r0a6
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) August 18, 2017
Jerusalem Post op-ed editor Seth Frantzman ripped HuffPost’s “Bizarre, inflammatory meme terminology,” adding that “journalists should think more.”
HuffPost suggests that Jews dumped Bannon the non-Jew (goy) after a week of HP whining about the rise of Nazis. Recklessness! pic.twitter.com/0q9vnaCpaH
— Yossi Gestetner (@YossiGestetner) August 18, 2017
“I wish they hadn’t done that banner,” said Sam Stein, who only recently left HuffPost for the Daily Beast.
New York Mag Brad Stulberg called the banner “a desperate effort to drive clicks” and said it will “will fuel anti-semitism.” His suggestion to HuffPost: “Pay for good quality writing instead.”