Kamau Bobb, listed as the “Global Lead for Diversity Strategy and Research at Google” on his website, recently caused widespread outrage after it was reported that he wrote a since-deleted blog post titled “If I Were A Jew” in 2007.
Individuals and Jewish advocacy groups swiftly denounced the anti-Semitic statements in Bobb’s post, including, “If I were a Jew I would be concerned about my insatiable appetite for war and killing in defense of myself,” that Israel has an “insatiable appetite for vengeful violence,” and a direct comparison of Nazi Germany and Kristallnacht to the military actions of Israel in wars against Islamic terrorism.
For example, StopAntisemitism.org responded, asking “How is the obscene, antisemitic bigot still employed there?”
"If I were a Jew I would be concerned about my insatiable appetite for war and killing“
“I would be afraid of my increasing insensitivity to the suffering [of] others."
– Kamau Bobb, head of diversity at @Google
🤯 How is the obscene, antisemitic bigot still employed there? pic.twitter.com/IzXQkAzmv9
— StopAntisemitism.org (@StopAntisemites) June 2, 2021
However, Google determined that Bobb’s multiple acts of definitional anti-Semitism warranted a reassignment — not termination — announcing that Bobb would be moved to a “STEM research role.”
This shockingly restrained reaction leads us to ask: Would Google apply the same restraint if a hypothetical white “head of diversity” had published a blog post titled, “If I Were Black?”
What if “Jew” was replaced by “black” in the blog post? Would his statements have then warranted a harsher response from the Silicon Valley giant?
“If I were [black] I would be concerned about my insatiable appetite for war and killing in defense of myself.”
Moreover, what if terrorist groups who actively target black people, in addition to Jews, were arguably defended by such a hypothetical “head of diversity?” In the original post, Bobb effectively defends and justifies the actions of terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
“I would have to believe that the degree of animus, vengeance and violence that they now carry is not rooted in their identity, but rather in their experience.”
What if, as an extreme and horrid example, a white “head of diversity” discussed a white supremacist group in such a manner?
Presumably, we could assume that any anti-black bigotry from any employee — let alone, the head of diversity — would elicit an immediate and damning response? It is hard to imagine that a white employee who defended the KKK would simply be reassigned to a different team by one of the “wokest” companies in the California Bay Area. They’d almost certainly be reprimanded and fired, and understandably so.
Yes, it is true that Bobb apologized, and we should assume that his apology is sincere. But surely the standards required of Google’s “head of diversity” should apply to all races and religions across the spectrum of diversity itself? If our hypothetical white employee apologized in the same manner, saying “what I wrote crudely characterized the entire black community,” would their apology be accepted by the Big Tech elite?
No, of course not.
Then why, we must ask, are Jews not afforded the same protection from outright bigotry?
Ian Haworth is an Editor and Writer for The Daily Wire. Follow him on Twitter at @ighaworth.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.