Whoopi Goldberg apologises for saying the Holocaust "was not about race"

Whoopi Goldberg has apologised for the "dangerous" comments she made about the Holocaust on a recent episode of 'The View'.

The 66-year-old co-host came under fire when she said the Holocaust "was not about race".  Whoopi made the remarks while discussing a decision by two schools in America to ban 'To Kill a Mockingbird" and 'Maus'. 

'Maus' is a graphic novel written by Art Spiegelman. The book is based on the Holocaust. A Tennessee school board banned the Pulitzer Prize-winning book from its curriculum due to nudity and bad language. 

"I mean, it's about the Holocaust, the killing of six million people, but that didn't bother you?" Whoopi said in response to the book being banned.

She later added: "Let’s be truthful about it because the Holocaust isn’t about race. No, it’s not about race.” 

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Her co-hosts disagreed, with Joy Behar pointing out that "they [Nazis] considered Jews a different race". 

Co-host Sara Haines also told Whoopi that the Nazis didn't see Jewish people as white. Whoopi insisted that it was "two white groups of people". 

"But you're missing the point! The minute you turn it into race, it goes down this alley. Let's talk about it for what it is. It's how people treat each other. It's a problem," she added. 

Whoopi faced major backlash online for her comments. “Whoopi’s ignorance is scary," one Twitter user wrote.  Some labelled Whoopi's comments as "dangerous". 

Jonathan Greenblatt, who is the leader of a Jewish anti-hate watchdog, tweeted: "No @WhoopiGoldberg, the #Holocaust was about the Nazi’s systematic annihilation of the Jewish people – who they deemed to be an inferior race. They dehumanized them and used this racist propaganda to justify slaughtering 6 million Jews. Holocaust distortion is dangerous. #ENOUGH"

Whoopi has since offered her sincerest apologies for her remarks.  

“On today’s show, I said the Holocaust is ‘not about race but about man’s inhumanity to man.’ I should have said it was about both. The Jewish people around the world have always had my support and that will never waiver. I'm sorry for the hurt I have caused," she wrote. 

Whoopi added: "As Jonathan Greenblatt from the Anti-Defamation League shared, ‘The Holocaust was about the Nazis’ systemic annihilation of the Jewish people – who they deemed to be an inferior race.’ I stand corrected.”

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Main image courtesy of YouTube/The View