In a flurry of tweets on Monday, actor John Cusack repeatedly apologised to his 1.6 million followers for retweeting an anti-Semitic meme – after defending why he hit send in the first place.
The offensive tweet, since deleted, featured a black and white cartoon that depicted a giant hand with a blue Star of David imposed on the sleeve, smashing a crowd of feeble-looking people beneath it.
Accompanying the image is a quote mistakenly attributed to 18th-century French philosopher Voltaire: “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticise.” The phrase’s origin can be traced to white nationalist and neo-Nazi Kevin Alfred Strom, according to USA Today.
After hitting retweet with his own words – “Follow the money” – attached, Cusack was immediately met with criticism from fans and followers who recognised the clear anti-Semitic message in the image.
Read the article in The Sydney Morning Herald (from The Washington Post).