B'nai Brith Canada says its behind-the-scenes efforts have led an American online art gallery to remove work by an Edmonton-based YouTuber and former radio host with a history of antisemitic rants and conspiracy theories.
The owners of Saatchi Art in Santa Monica, California, took action after B'nai Brith informed them that their site was hosting art by Bogdan Konikowski, the Jewish human rights organization said in a statement Tuesday.
"We are pleased that Saatchi Art's ownership quickly acted on our concerns about Bogdan Konikowski," said Michael Mostyn, chief executive officer of B’nai Brith Canada. "His conspiratorial and antisemitic ramblings are repulsive. We are greatly reassured to see Saatchi Art take this firm action."
Last November, YouTube removed what B'nai Brith calls a "particularly offensive" episode by Konikowski from its social media platform. B'nai Brith says he claimed the war in Ukraine was contrived to enable Jews to "take over Ukraine and get rid of Ukrainians and Poles" and build a "Celestial Jerusalem" in the ruins.
B’nai Brith said it is continuing to work with YouTube about the ongoing existence of Konikowski's channels.
Source: B'nai Brith Canada