TAMPA, Fla. — The president of the Jewish Federation of Florida's Gulf Coast is calling on the Tampa Sports Authority to cancel an upcoming Ye concert, saying the decision to give the artist a platform raises serious moral and ethical concerns for the Jewish community.
Senator Rick Scott also sent a letter to the Tampa Sports Authority Board of Directors on June 4, 2026, urging leaders to review the upcoming concerts headlined by Kanye West, also known as Ye, scheduled at Raymond James Stadium on June 26 and June 28. Scott wrote that taxpayer dollars should not be used to platform the artist, citing West's history of antisemitic remarks.
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"Kanye West's consistent antisemitic attacks are an affront to the values of the people of the Hillsborough community," Scott wrote in the letter. "He has openly praised Nazis, called himself one, and slandered Jews across the world."
Scott also noted that West funded a Super Bowl ad in 2025 that directed viewers to purchase merchandise featuring swastikas, and that West was recently barred from performing in the United Kingdom due to offensive antisemitic remarks.
"West's remarks are vile and a slap in the face to our state's Jewish community," Scott wrote. "No taxpayer dollars should be used to give a vocal antisemite a stage in Florida."
Steven Schwersky, president of the Jewish Federation of Florida's Gulf Coast, said the majority of people in the Jewish community are concerned about the Tampa Sports Authority giving West the platform to continue spreading what Schwersky described as a hateful message.
"He apologizes, and then he does something else, and then he apologizes, and he does something else," Schwersky said. "You can still go on his website and buy a t-shirt with symbols looking very close to swastikas."
Schwersky said West's pattern of behavior goes beyond mental health issues alone.
"He has the ability, or should have the ability, to make decisions that he's not making in order to prove that he's not anti-Semitic," Schwersky said.
Schwersky said he does not dispute that West has the right to perform, or that the Sports Authority has the right to hire him, but he said the issue is one of moral and ethical responsibility.
"It's not a matter of your rights under the First Amendment, it's a matter of making moral and ethical decisions," Schwersky said. "The Sports Authority has every right to give him the platform, but they also have the ability to make a decision that's morally and ethically proper, which would include not allowing him to perform."
Schwersky said West has been banned in the United Kingdom, France, and other countries, and he believes the Tampa Sports Authority should take a similar stand.
"You're not welcome. Your message is not welcome," Schwersky said. "We don't think that your performance is appropriate in our neighborhood."
Schwersky also warned that West's influence could extend beyond his own words and potentially incite others.
"Especially right now, in these times, rhetoric is leading to some violence," Schwersky said. "He has a following. He's lost a lot, but he still has a major following, so he's a major influencer. When you're spreading anti-Semitic messages, it can potentially lead to dangerous situations for the Jewish community."
While Schwersky said the Jewish community is not a monolith on the issue, he said a clear majority opposes the concert going forward.
"There's always going to be two sides to everything, but I think when you have a majority of people that feel pretty strongly that he should not have this platform, then it says a lot," Schwersky said.
Scott's letter was also copied to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
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