Comedian Dave Chappelle accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza during a show in the Middle East.
The comedian, 50, was performing in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, when he made these statements.
Chappelle, who is Muslim, told the crowd that he believes Jewish people support Israel because of the rise in anti-Semitism.
He said the Gaza Strip is facing “genocide” and that making Jews safer in the United States would make them realize that they do not need Israel as their ultimate protector.
According to a Middle Eastern media The NationalHe told the sold-out crowd: ‘What is happening in Gaza is a direct result of anti-Semitism in the West.
“If you’re in America, the best thing you can do is make American Jews feel safe, loved and supported so they know they don’t have to support a country that is committing genocide just to feel safe.”
Chappelle performs at Madison Square Garden during his 50th birthday celebration week on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 in New York.
Before taking the stage, the audience applauded as DJ Trauma, who accompanied Chappelle on the trip, played the song ‘My Blood is Palestine’ by Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf.
The thousands of attendees agreed to place their switched-off cell phones in locked bags for the performance, a standard feature of Chappelle’s shows.
About halfway through a wide-ranging comedy set, Chappelle initially said his friends had told him whether to talk about the war or not.
From the audience, a woman shouted: ‘Free Palestine!’, causing the crowd to cheer.
One moment also showed how diverse the crowd was in Abu Dhabi. Telling another joke about how Jews cheer while drinking, Chappelle said ‘l’chaim,’ or ‘to life’ in Hebrew, which another man shouted from the audience.
Addressing the upcoming US election, Chappelle’s mention of President Joe Biden, who has pledged “unwavering” support for Israel, sparked widespread booing throughout the forum. Donald Trump provoked scattered cheers.
Chappelle, like other artists during the performance, told some dirty jokes and swore. But they largely avoided talking about local politics, although Chappelle made a sly joke about the UAE’s extensive surveillance network and another deadpan comment about “how hard it is to be gay” in the country, since homosexuality is illegal. .
Displaced Palestinians walk through a devastated street in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, on May 24, 2024.
Injured people are brought to Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, Gaza, after the Israeli army attacked the Al-Nazla school building on May 25, 2024.
At the beginning of his performance, he also took the stage with a falcon on his arm, a symbol of the United Arab Emirates.
Chappelle’s comments come as Abu Dhabi has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel even as it has increasingly criticized its conduct in the seven-month war.
Earlier this week, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) demanded the immediate release of all hostages still held by Palestinian militants.
Hours earlier, Israeli forces announced that troops had recovered the bodies of three more captives from northern Gaza.
The court also ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to stop its military operations in the city.
Israel gave no indication it was preparing to change course in Rafah, insisting the court had erred and bombed Gaza on Friday night.
The ICJ, whose orders are legally binding but lack direct enforcement mechanisms, also ordered Israel to keep open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, which Israeli troops seized earlier this month, effectively closing it.
National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi, in a joint statement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that “Israel has not and will not carry out military operations in the Rafah area that create living conditions that could cause destruction of the Palestinian civilian population, in whole or in part”. part.’
About halfway through a wide-ranging comedy set, Chappelle initially said his friends had told him whether to talk about the war or not.
Hamas, the Iran-backed Islamist group that has ruled Gaza since 2007, welcomed the ICJ ruling on Rafah but criticized its decision to exclude the rest of the Palestinian territory from the order.
An Israeli official said Saturday that the government “intends” to restart the stalled negotiations “this week.”
Chappelle had previously sparked a walkout during a show in Boston last year after criticizing Israel for its “war crimes” against the Palestinians.
The comedian made the comments after telling the audience that he did not believe that students protesting in support of Palestine should lose job offers.
He went on to make clear that he also condemned the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, but accused the Israeli government of killing innocent civilians.
At the end of the show at TD Garden, he argued that two wrongs didn’t make a right.
Some in the arena got up and left while others cheered, shouting, “Free Palestine.”