One of the individuals involved in the anti-Semitic sign incident at a Philadelphia bar linked to Barstool Sports spoke out on Tuesday, adding a new layer to the unfolding situation.
Signs that read “f— Jews” were spotted at the establishment, with a video of the signs making waves on social media over the weekend. In a heated moment, Dave Portnoy proposed a trip to Auschwitz as a way to educate one of the men involved about the Holocaust following the uproar, but he later retracted this offer.
Mo Khan, who named Portnoy as part of the controversy, made a statement regarding the incident, claiming that Portnoy had sensationalized the event for his vast social media audience. Khan urged viewers to support his fundraising campaign while criticizing Portnoy for the backlash he has faced.
“I had no part in the sign’s appearance, though I can’t pinpoint who was responsible. These signs are provocative and evoke memories of the injustices enacted by Israel globally,” Khan said. He continued, claiming that Portnoy’s actions were unjust and that he felt like a target of a smear campaign.
Khan stated that while Portnoy and the Jewish community positioned themselves as victims, he believed he was the true victim, citing suspensions from his university and receiving death threats as a direct result of the incident.
He mentioned agreeing to the trip to Auschwitz under pressure, emphasizing that Portnoy’s influence left him feeling trapped. Khan characterized Portnoy’s actions as hypocritical, claiming that he tried to destroy Khan’s life while building a career on anti-cancel culture rhetoric.
According to Khan, Portnoy offered an apology but only after drawing significant attention to himself through this situation. He expressed his belief that Portnoy’s attempts to expose him actually revealed Portnoy’s own questionable character.
In response, Portnoy criticized Khan’s statements, asserting that Khan had lied about their conversations. Portnoy claimed his name came up because Khan had posted the offensive sign on social media before either of them had spoken. He accused Khan of capitalizing on the situation for personal gain, stating that he bears no responsibility for the incident.
Portnoy referred to Khan as someone avoiding accountability for his actions, and noted the prevalence of anti-Semitism, implying that Khan’s approach was misguided.
Philadelphia police announced they were looking into the incident for further details.
