Jerry Seinfeld, the brilliant comedian and master of observation, recently set off a firestorm. He sparked significant backlash when he claimed that the Free Palestine movement was anti-American. Image from public domain Seinfeld’s surprise appearance was at Duke University in North Carolina. He called the movement antisemitic and likened its rhetoric to that of the Ku Klux Klan.
The event, which was not announced prior to Seinfeld’s arrival, aimed to support Omer Shem Tov, an Israeli man abducted by Hamas during the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023. That same day resulted in the killing of almost 1,200 Israelis and the taking of 252 other Israelis hostage. Seinfeld, who is Jewish, has been outspoken in support of Israel amid the ongoing violence in Gaza. He concluded by recounting his recent trip to Tel Aviv, where he visited with families of hostages.
While giving a speech at Duke University that same week, Seinfeld was confronted by a pro-Palestine protestor in the audience. The complainant went on to call him a “genocide proponent.” Rather than engaging directly with the heckler’s statement, Seinfeld used satire to turn the tone of the conversation away.
“We have a genius, ladies and gentlemen. He’s solved the Middle East. He’s solved it! It’s the Jewish comedians, that’s who we have to get.” – Jerry Seinfeld
The reactions to Seinfeld’s comments on the Free Palestine movement were swift and intense. He stated, “Free Palestine is, to me, just … you’re free to say you don’t like Jews. Just say you don’t like Jews.” He especially argued that people who used the phrase were not being honest about what they really felt.
“By saying ‘Free Palestine’, you’re not admitting what you really think,” – Jerry Seinfeld
He added, “So it’s actually – compared to the Ku Klux Klan, I’m actually thinking the Klan is actually a little better here, because they can come right out and say, ‘We don’t like Blacks, we don’t like Jews.’”
The event became a media circus, not just for what Seinfeld said, but for all of the people walking out mid-event. Nearly 100 Duke students staged a walkout in protest of his position on Israel and the ongoing conflict.
Seinfeld acknowledged the mixed feelings surrounding his appearance: “A lot of you are thinking, ‘I can’t believe they invited this guy.’ Too late,” he remarked during his address. Even through that backlash, he stood firm on taking the line he took on Israel and the difficulty of talking about the war in public.
“I don’t preach about [the war]. I have my personal feelings about it that I discuss privately. It’s not part of what I can do comedically, but my feelings are very strong.” – Jerry Seinfeld
The reaction to Seinfeld’s criticism sheds light on the current climate of discussion surrounding Israel and Palestine. His remarks have sparked national conversations on antisemitism and academic freedom in our campuses and beyond.