Herzog 'pleased' with response to Kanye West's comments

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday said he was "extremely pleased" by the backlash in response to U.S. rapper Kanye West's anti-Semitic outbursts.

"I am extremely pleased, objectively, as an Israeli, as a Jew, as a human being... to see this overwhelming reaction against the comments by Kanye West," Herzog said in an interview with U.S. broadcaster CNN.

"History teaches us, that usually it starts with hating Jews, with blaming Jews," Herzog told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

The Israeli leader said the topic, and more broadly anti-Semitism, was a topic of conversation during a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington earlier in the day.

"We are all concerned about anti-Semitism all over the world and, of course, anti-Semitism [in the U.S.] and everywhere," Herzog said.

His comments come after German sporting goods giant Adidas on Tuesday ended its partnership with the U.S. rapper, who now goes by the name Ye, after he made anti-Semitic outbursts on social media and other platforms.

"Ye's recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous," the company said in a statement.

A recent interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, a podcast appearance and comments on social media have shown West increasingly embracing anti-Semitic conspiracies and white supremacist rhetoric.

The volatile rapper has struggled with mental health issues for years.

A number of brands and designers have ended their relationship with West in recent weeks, and Adidas had come under pressure for not following suit.

Twitter and Instagram have suspended West's accounts, saying that his speech violates their policies. He recently agreed in principle to acquire the controversial right-wing social media platform Parler.