New Delhi: Actor Whoopi Goldberg, who co-hosts “The View” show on ABC News, has been suspended by the channel for two weeks for what was termed as “wrong and hurtful comments” about Jews and the Holocaust.


“Effective immediately, I am suspending Whoopi Goldberg for two weeks for her wrong and hurtful comments. While Whoopi has apologized, I’ve asked her to take time to reflect and learn about the impact of her comments,” ABC News President Kim Godwin said in a statement.


“The entire ABC News organization stands in solidarity with our Jewish colleagues, friends, family and communities,” she added.


The show was telecast on Monday, and the suspension order came a day later.


During a discussion on “The View”, Goldberg commented that race was not a factor in the Holocaust, drawing condemnation from several prominent Jewish leaders.


She tendered an apology hours after the show, and once again on the Tuesday morning episode.


“My words upset so many people, which was never my intention. I understand why now and for that I am deeply, deeply grateful because the information I got was really helpful and helped me understand some different things,” Goldberg said Tuesday.


On Monday, the longtime host of the talk show was discussing the ban on a graphic novel, "Maus" by a Tennessee school district when she said: "If you're going to do this, then let's be truthful about it because the Holocaust isn't about race."


She said it was, instead, about "man's inhumanity to man", and that people on both sides were White, ABC reported.


Goldberg took to Twitter Monday night to apologise for her remark, and said had spoken to Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, about her comments.


She posted: "As Jonathan Greenblatt of the Anti-Defamation League shared, 'The Holocaust was about the Nazi's systematic annihilation of the Jewish people -- who they deemed to be an inferior race.' I stand corrected." 


Goldberg added: "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." 






On the Tuesday morning show, she said: “I misspoke.” 


Greenblatt appeared on “The View” Tuesday and discussed why Goldberg’s words were hurtful.


“Jewish people at the moment are feeling besieged,” Greenblatt said.


Earlier, the US Holocaust Museum in Washington responded to Goldberg’s comment with a tweet that read: “Racism was central to Nazi ideology. Jews were not defined by religion, but by race. Nazi racist beliefs fueled genocide and mass murder.”