Jerry Seinfeld publicly shamed an anti-Israel heckler who interrupted the famed comedian’s show in Australia with pro-Palestinian chants over the weekend.
Seinfeld, 70, was on stage at the Qudos Bank Arena Sunday night when the heckler began shouting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a video of the gig shared on X by the Australian Jewish Association shows.
“We have a genius, ladies and gentlemen. He solved the Middle East!” Seinfeld joked.
“It’s the Jewish comedian, that’s who we have to get! They’re the ones doing everything.”
Security surrounded the protester as he continued to shout at the comedian while they tried escorting him out of the venue.
“They’re going to start punching you in about three seconds, so I would try to get all of your genius out so we can all learn from you,” Seinfeld told the protestor while getting a roaring round of applause from the crowd.
His fans then broke out into a “Jerry” chant to show their support for the comedy legend while security removed the disruptive pro-Palestinian supporter from the area.
Nevertheless, the heckler kept shouting while being escorted out, but Seinfeld continued to roast him, telling the crowd, “Imagine if this guy actually did solve the conflict?”
“You’re really influencing everyone here. We’re all on your side now, because you’ve made your point so well, and in the right venue, you’ve come to the right place for a political conversation,” he said from the stage.
“Tomorrow we will read in the paper ‘Middle East 100% solved thanks to man at the Qudos Arena stopping Jew comedian.’ They stopped him, and everyone in the Middle East went, ‘Oh my God, let’s just get along. We can’t do that.’”
The “Seinfeld” co-creator then used the moment to poke fun at Australia’s own history to lighten the mood.
“I know there are problems here, with Indigenous Aboriginal people and the white,” he told the crowd.
“They have problems here so maybe to solve that, I will screw up a Jim Jefferies in a show in New York. If that works, this will work.”
“You have to go 20,000 miles from the problem and screw up a comedian, that is how you solve world issues.”
The remainder of the show went on without any further interruptions, and Seinfeld apologized to the audience for the commotion toward the end of his set.
Seinfeld has faced backlash over his support for Israel since the deadly October 7 attack.
Two days after the attack, he wrote an “I Stand With Israel” post on his Instagram account.
“I lived and worked on a Kibbutz in Israel when I was 16 and I have loved our Jewish homeland ever since,” he wrote in the caption. “My heart is breaking from these attacks and atrocities. But we are also a very strong people in our hearts and minds.”
Since then, the comedian has been disrupted by rowdy pro-Palestinian protesters.
Last month, anti-Israel supporters protested the fan-favorite comedian’s commencement speech at Duke University, with dozens of students walking out of the ceremony while he spoke.
Video of the incident shows a group of students walking out of their seats and carrying a Palestinian flag as soon as the comedian and TV star was called to the stage.
However, attention to the protesters was quickly diverted by the crowd, who chanted, “Jerry! Jerry!” as Seinfeld went on to give his speech and accept an honorary degree from Duke.
Again, on May 19, the Primetime Emmy winner had his comedy show in Virginia interrupted by an anti-Israel protester in the audience who yelled “Free Gaza” during his set, TMZ reported.
Similarly, the New York City comedian was heckled by a group of protesters after leaving an event in the Upper East Side in February, where demonstrators called him a “genocide supporter.”
Seinfeld was heckled after he left an event at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan that featured former New York Times columnist Bari Weiss, founder of the Free Press.
Last month, Seinfeld appeared on Weiss’ podcast, “Honestly With Bari Weiss,” where he told her how he deals with the criticism he’s been receiving from anti-Israel protesters.
“When we get protesters occasionally, I love to say to the audience, ‘You know I love that these young people, they’re trying to get engaged with politics, we have to just correct their aim a little bit, they don’t seem to understand that as comedians we really don’t control anything,’” Seinfeld said.
Laura Davis is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Broadway, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
