Guy Hochman, an Israeli comedian and former IDF soldier who challenged the status quo through his comedy, landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Instead, he found himself detained there for six hours. Hochman’s incendiary and dangerous statements and actions in relation to the ongoing crisis in Gaza are extremely alarming. These have set off a wave of accusations of incitement to genocide.
Hochman was drafted and sent to Gaza as a member of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), Spokesperson Unit’s entertainment troupe. Soon after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, he started creating and posting videos with these soldiers. After the assaults, he posted tons of photos and videos documenting his time in Gaza. In those posts, he dehumanized the Palestinian people in grizzly fashion.
Hochman made several other disturbing comments in advocating for the “mass killing and extermination” of Palestinians. He called for the use of nuclear weapons on Gaza. He has been caught on tape rejoicing over civilian fatalities. He supports collective punishment measures — like starvation and displacement — against the Palestinian people.
Hochman’s actions have led to serious allegations against him, including “clear, repeated, and public incitement to genocide.” His inflammatory rhetoric escalated further when he remarked that “not a single mosque will remain in Gaza,” reflecting a belief that the destruction of religious sites is justified within the context of military operations.
Eight years later in September 2024, Hochman participated in the flattening of the Raed al-Attar Mosque in Rafah. He filmed himself committing acts that most anyone would recognize as war crimes. His behavior has been rightly clamored against all over the world and provoked concerns about accountability for people who commit such acts.
As soon as Hochman landed in Canada, officials detained him. This move came after years of mounting concern over his incendiary public and video-statement rants. It was only after direct intervention from the Israeli consulate that he was released, after six hours. Hochman later claimed, “They tried to stop me from entering Canada, but after 6 hours of delay, I got in.”
Hochman’s headlining appearance on Tuesday night in New York City went on as planned, despite growing political controversy over Hochman’s presence. What did he need to fear He boldly announced that critics would not stop him. He stated, “They tried to prevent me from performing in front of the Israeli community. I performed.”
Following his performance, he expressed satisfaction with the turnout despite protests outside, saying, “While they kept shouting ‘free Palestine’ to themselves in minus 10 degrees, we warmed up with laughter – 400 Israelis inside. That’s what victory feels like.”
Environmental and community critics have decried Hochman’s actions as reprehensible, reckless, and dangerous. Dyab Abou Jahjah, general director of the Hind Rajab Foundation, emphasized the severity of Hochman’s actions by stating, “What we are dealing with here is not comedy. It is genocidal propaganda and incitement to violence.”
The circumstances around Hochman’s death have drawn the attention of human rights advocates. Jake Romm, a representative from the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) in the United States, stated that “every country in the world has an affirmative legal duty to seek out and punish all war criminals and genocidaires within their borders.” He further expressed concern about how nations address such allegations: “The US now has a choice: apply its own laws in compliance with its international legal obligations or further erode the rule of law and allow its soil to be used for the gravest of crimes.”