SWC Condemns Dave Chapelle for anti-Israel Comments at Recent Performance in Boston

October 23, 2023

The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is condemning comedian Dave Chappelle for his recent anti-Israel comments at a performance in Boston last Thursday where he accused Israel of “war crimes” in Gaza. Chapelle, who also reportedly said “he didn't think students should lose job offers for supporting Palestinians,” was joined by audience members who shouted, “Free Palestine.” Other audience members reportedly left feeling unsafe when some of the crowd in attendance began to show support for Chappelle’s comments, with one person asking, “how was there so much hate for Jews in Boston?”

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action at the SWC, issued the following statement: “Dave Chappelle, wrong century. Jews were helpless as they were tortured, raped, and mass murdered during Nazi Holocaust. Not today. Not with Israel dedicated to protecting the Jewish people. Mass murderers of our people, torturers of Jewish infants, rapists, kidnappers, and their enablers are paying for their crimes against humanity. Find it amusing? Hamas and Islamic Jihad aren’t any more!”

For further information, please email Michele Alkin, Director of Global Communications at malkin@wiesenthal.com or Shawn Rodgers at srodgers@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS, and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO).