Apple chief uses Hebrew at anti-Semitism conference

JOSEFIN DOLSTEN

Cook invoked a phrase from Leviticus 19:16 in its original language on 3 December in New York City at the Anti-Defamation League’s Never Is Now summit on anti-Semitism and hate.

“Lo ta’amod al dam re’eikha. Do not be indifferent to the bloodshed of your fellow man,” Cook said, after receiving the ADL’s Courage Against Hate Award.

Cook, who is not Jewish, said in his address that the biblical mandate moves Apple to speak out on behalf of the rights of targeted groups, including immigrants and the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community.

“It moves us not to be bystanders as hate tries to make its headquarters in the digital world,” he said.

Cook has criticised United States President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policies as “inhumane”, and has spoken publicly about being proud to be gay.

The Apple leader was speaking at the third annual Never Is Now summit, which addresses topics of anti-Semitism and hate in the world today. About 1 300 people attended the one-day conference, which featured presentations on anti-Semitism on campuses, immigration policies, diversity in the Jewish community, and the forces driving modern anti-Semitism.

In a morning panel, historian Deborah Lipstadt was asked if Jewish women should attend the Women’s March. Some of its leaders have come under fire for their association with anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, or for failing to distance themselves from him in spite of his bigoted messages.

“No,” said Lipstadt, a professor of modern Jewish history and Holocaust studies at Emory University. Farrakhan, she said, had likened Jews to termites.

“And what does one do with termites?” she said. “Exterminate them. When you stand with someone who calls me a termite, I’m not marching with you.”

Cook referenced the shooting in Pittsburgh in October, in which a gunman killed 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue.

“This year, we’ve seen the stubborn and constant evils of anti-Semitism, violence, and hate darken the streets of Pittsburgh and so many other places,” he said. “Yet, at the same time, we see more and more people opening their eyes and rising to their feet, speaking out in defence of a society where we are all bound together by the values we have in common.”

Cook cited the policy of Apple’s online music store, iTunes, not to allow white supremacist-themed content or violent conspiracy theories, as an example of its commitment to fighting hate.

“At Apple, we’re not afraid to say that our values drive our curation decisions. Why should we be?” he asked.

Social media sites, including Twitter and Facebook, have come under fire for not doing enough to get rid of hateful content on their platforms. Cook in recent months has sought to distance Apple from the social media giants, saying Apple deals in hardware and does not depend on advertising revenue from users.