Jerry Seinfeld is facing backlash for his controversial remarks about the “Free Palestine” movement during a surprise appearance at Duke University on Tuesday, September 9.
Known for being vocal about his support for Israel, the iconic Seinfeld star compared the movement’s rhetoric to that of the Ku Klux Klan—an American Protestant-led Christian extremist, white supremacist, far-right hate group—calling it antisemitic and “dishonest” about its intentions.
What Did Jerry Seinfeld Say About ‘Free Palestine’?
Seinfeld denounced the “Free Palestine” movement while introducing Omer Shem Tov, a former Israeli hostage who was abducted by Hamas at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, and held for more than 500 days.
“Free Palestine is, to me, just — you’re free to say you don’t like Jews. Just say you don’t like Jews,” he said (via Duke Chronicle).
“By saying Free Palestine, you’re not admitting what you really think,” he continued. “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.”
Anticipating backlash over Seinfeld’s remarks, Duke administrators clarified that they were not responsible for his statements.
“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 wrote in an email to The Chronicle. “Duke does not preview the remarks of speakers who are invited to campus, and the invitation of speakers to campus does not imply any endorsement of their remarks.”
How Did the Students React to Jerry Seinfeld’s Remarks?
Seinfeld, who also served as Duke’s commencement speaker last year, received mixed reactions from students during his latest appearance.
According to ABC11, dozens of students walked out of the event, with some carrying Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine.” Their chants were later replaced with “Jerry, Jerry.”
“I feel unsafe as a Palestinian American student myself, being on a campus where a call for freedom and justice is misconstrued,” Laila Dames told the network. “If the school wants to be a place of diversity, inclusion, and equity, they need to speak out, deplore what he said, and support all the students.”
Noah Jacobs, a Jewish Duke student, stressed that “Free Palestine” is “not at all comparable” to the KKK.
“I'm really just honestly nauseated,” he added. “I just wanted to bring my voice as a Jewish student to say, really, this is something we care about.”
As of now, Seinfeld has not made any public comment on the matter.
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