Tampa Bay Jewish leaders are now condemning the Tampa Sports Authority’s (TSA) decision to book two Raymond James Stadium concerts headlined by Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West and a guy who identified as a Nazi up until just a few months before his latest tour.
The Tampa Jewish Federation, which oversees and operates South Tampa’s Shanna and Bryan Glazer Jewish Community Center, released a statement Monday morning saying it was “deeply disappointed and disturbed” with the Tampa Sports Authority’s choice to enter into a contract with the “Heil Hitler” artist.
“As a public agency, the TSA is accountable not only to its board of directors, but also to every person living in the region, including the Jewish residents,” said the statement. “By booking Ye, the TSA lent institutional credibility to an individual who has caused genuine fear and anxiety to Jews across the country; from Holocaust survivors who hoped and prayed this type of virulent Jew hate would be consigned to the history books, to students of all ages, many who now think twice about wearing symbols of their Judaism such as Jewish stars or yarmulkes because they’re fearful of being harassed or even attacked.”
After losing millions in major contracts with companies like Adidas and Gap, the artist who once posted “IM NEVER APOLOGIZING FOR MY JEWISH COMMENTS,” posted a lengthy apology in the Wall Street Journal last January, just months before the release of his new album “Bully.”
But the Tampa Jewish Federation called the apology a “PR move.”
“Many Jews and non-Jews believe those comments were nothing more than a PR move rather than genuine remorsefulness, especially since his Jew hate assertions lasted more than two years rather than four months. There are several examples on record of antisemitic statements that he made from October of 2022 to February 2025, when he again posted on X that he self-identified as a Nazi and praised Hitler.”
The organization went on to emphasize that the TSA has an obligation to the First Amendment, and has an obligation to generate revenue at county-owned facilities. But, given Ye’s long-documented history of anti semitic remarks, the Bully tour should have never been booked in the first place.
“Why should Tampa hold itself to a lower standard than the United Kingdom, France, Poland, Italy, Switzerland and South Korea — all of which have cancelled or banned Ye’s performances because of his hateful rhetoric?,” asked the organization.
In its statement the Tampa Jewish Federation federation urged elected officials and community leaders to speak out against Ye’s “exceptionally hateful comments,” and called for a “serious review of how and why the decision to enter into a contract with Ye was made and what can be done to avoid this type of travesty with other ‘artists’ with very problematic and/or criminal pasts from happening again.”
The condemnation from the Tampa Jewish Federation is significant considering its close relation to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Besides owning the namesake of the South Tampa JCC, the Glazer family also owns the Bucs, who play home games at Raymond James Stadium due to a long term lease with Hillsborough County and the taxpayer-funded Tampa Sports Authority.
The Glazer family has not made any public comments regarding Ye’s upcoming performances.
Today’s statement from the Tampa Jewish Federation come just a few days after U.S. Sen. Rick Scott also called on the TSA to “carefully review this decision” to host the rapper for his only confirmed U.S. tour stops on June 26 & 28.
“West’s remarks are vile and a slap in the face to our state’s Jewish community. It is troubling that a stadium supported by taxpayer dollars would openly subsidize an event led by an artist known for pushing this dangerous, hateful rhetoric, especially with Florida having one of the largest Jewish populations in our country,” Scott, a Republican and former two-term governor of the state, wrote in a letter last Thursday.
In response, the Tampa Sports Authority essentially doubled down.
“We recognize the concerns and viewpoints being expressed about the upcoming events at Raymond James Stadium,” said the Tampa Sports Authority in a statement to various press outlets. “As a public agency, we follow the principles of free speech in operating our venue, although we do not condone remarks or actions from any artists that are offensive and divisive.”
Rick Scott and the Tampa Jewish Federation aren’t the only ones adding pressure to the ongoing Ye controversy. This morning, the Florida National Organization for Women (FL NOW) also called on Tampa officials to reconsider the Ye shows.
“Based on public outcry, concerts and festival appearances have been canceled, business partnerships have been severed, and several countries have denied him entry. Venues, promoters, and public officials globally have determined that platforming him is incompatible with their values and their responsibility to protect the communities they serve. Tampa Bay should not move in the opposite direction,” said FL NOW in a statement.
“Tampa Bay has long been a community that values diversity, inclusion, and mutual respect. This moment calls on all of us to reaffirm those values and ensure that our public institutions do not provide platforms for individuals who spread bigotry and harm.”
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This article appears in June 04 – 10, 2026.
