Durham, North Carolina – Comedian Jerry Seinfeld compared the Palestine liberation movement to the Ku Klux Klan in widely panned remarks given at an event at Duke University.
“Free Palestine is, to me, just – you’re free to say you don’t like Jews. Just say you don’t like Jews,” Seinfeld reportedly said.
“By saying ‘Free Palestine,’ you’re not admitting what you really think,” he claimed. “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.’ Okay that’s honest.”
According to the Duke Chronicle, Seinfeld made the comments while introducing former Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov during a speaking event organized by student groups alongside the university.
Olivia Rodrigo surprises fans with all-new live vinyl!
Britney Spears sparks health concerns as insiders reveal shocking details of her messy home
“Tuesday’s talk was a Chabad at Duke student-led event that invited Omer Shem Tov to share the story of his spiritual journey during 505 days in captivity. Jerry Seinfeld introduced the speaker and requested his appearance not be announced beforehand, given Omer Shem Tov’s experiences were the focus of the event,” a university spokesperson told the student newspaper.
Seinfeld has been a vocal supporter of Israel throughout its nearly two-year assault on Gaza and expanded settler activity in the illegally occupied West Bank.
In February of this year, he went viral for telling an activist during the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live in New York City, “I don’t care about Palestine.”
In May 2024, dozens of Duke graduates walked out of a commencement address delivered by Seinfeld in solidarity with Palestinians under siege.
Israel – with unflagging US military and diplomatic support – has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, according to the territory’s health ministry, though the true number is believed to be far higher. The United Nations has officially declared a famine in Gaza as a growing number of human rights organizations and experts have determined that Israel is committing genocide.
