|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
(TJV)NYCA Manhattan comedy event meant to bridge the divide surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was abruptly canceled after backlash from pro-Palestinian comedians and activists, according to The New York Post. The show, titled “Debate, Don’t Hate”, was scheduled to take place at the Stand Up NY comedy club, where organizers hoped humor could spark dialogue and healing. But as The New York Post reported, the initiative was met with fierce resistance from performers who rejected the attempt to include both sides of the divisive issue.
As The New York Post detailed, Palestinian comedian Eman El-Husseini pulled out of the event, expressing outrage at the idea of sharing a stage with supporters of Israel while Palestinians face what she described as genocide. “Thanks for reaching out, but I cannot share the stage with zionazzzis while my people and Arabs in the region are being decimated and genocided so Israelis can have beach houses in more land that’s not theirs,” El-Husseini wrote to the organizers, using a term blending “Zionist” and “Nazis,” The New York Post reported.
According to The New York Post, Libyan comedian Mohanad Elshieky also criticized the event, dismissing it as a misguided debate on “why m*rdering children is wrong.” Elshieky’s sentiments echoed those of at least 21 other comedians who, when approached to fill the vacancies left by pro-Palestinian performers, refused to participate. The New York Post revealed that organizers were unable to find replacements, leading to the event’s cancellation.
The backlash wasn’t limited to performers. As The New York Post reported, activists accused the show’s organizers of “both-sidesing” what they view as Israel’s “genocide” of Palestinians in Gaza. Helen Rosner, a New Yorker food correspondent and pro-Palestinian advocate, took to Bluesky to mock the comedy club’s outreach efforts, sarcastically writing, “Some comedy club in NYC is apparently putting on a ‘both sides’ night about Israel’s annihilation of Gaza … inviting me to help ‘build a more inclusive community,’ and like, sir.” The New York Post further highlighted Rosner’s comments, which reflect the larger frustration activists have with framing the ongoing war as a topic for debate.
Organizer Robin Lemberg defended the intention of the now-canceled event, telling The New York Post that the goal was “not to debate genocide” but to use comedy as a tool to open conversations. “Humor is one of the most powerful tools we have to lower defenses and foster connection,” Lemberg said in remarks shared with The New York Post. She added that antisemitism and Islamophobia are both on the rise, and addressing these growing tensions through dialogue remains critically important.
As The New York Post noted, comedian Elon Gold, whose credits include Netflix specials and Curb Your Enthusiasm, called the cancellation a significant loss for efforts to foster understanding. “The whole point of comedy, besides the laughing part, is the unifying and the sharing of the human experience,” Gold told The New York Post. “If comedians on both sides of this can’t get their literal act together, I’m concerned for the rest of humanity.”
Historian Noam Weissman, host of the Unpacking Israeli History podcast, echoed those concerns in his conversation with The New York Post. Weissman warned that the sharp backlash against the comedy event demonstrates how entrenched the Israeli-Palestinian divide has become. “Shutting down dialogue, refusing to engage in open conversation and rejecting the willingness to listen and learn from one another are not just obstacles — they are the forces that will erode the very foundation of our society,” Weissman told The New York Post.
As The New York Post emphasized, the event’s cancellation highlights the increasingly polarized reactions to any effort to address the ongoing conflict in an open forum. Lemberg and other organizers told The New York Post that they hope to revisit the concept in the future, believing that nonviolent dialogue remains essential for creating lasting change. “Humor disarms anger and fear,” Lemberg said in The New York Post’s coverage. “It opens doors to conversations that would otherwise feel impossible.”
Though the show did not take place, the organizers remain committed to their vision, The New York Post reported, insisting that such conversations — even in the face of harsh criticism — are key to fostering understanding.
