Comedian Dave Chappelle has attempted to clear the air regarding anti-Israel comments he allegedly made during a recent standup show in Boston that caused some audience members to walk out.
According to New York Times reporter Jonathan Abrams, Chappelle told a crowd of more than 20,000 people at a show in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Wednesday that his comments were entirely misquoted.
“Right now, I’m in trouble because the Jewish community is upset,” Chappelle said. “But I cannot express this enough: No matter what you read about that show in Boston, you will never see quotation marks around anything I said. They don’t know what I said.”
As Breitbart News reported, Chappelle allegedly went on a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel rant at a show in Boston over the weekend, which prompted significant backlash. During the show, he allegedly said that people expressing support for Palestine following the horrific terrorist attack on Israel should not lose their jobs. He also allegedly said that Israel has been committing war crimes in Gaza while accusing the “U.S. of aiding the slaughter of innocent civilians.”
When audience members allegedly shouted “Free Palestine,” some Jewish members in the audience reported that they felt sick to the point of leaving.
“The audience was cheering Chappelle on during his tirade. I was sick. We were sick. I turned to my friends and wife and said, I think it is time to go,” one audience member told the Daily Mail. “We walked out and met up with many other Jews leaving the show. Never in my life have I felt so unsafe and so fearful of what I was witnessing.”
“And I will not repeat what I said,” he said.
According to Abrams, a woman at the North Carolina show shouted “Free Palestine,” to which Chappelle replied, “Please, please, miss. Listen. Don’t start it up or I’m going to be in the news cycle for another week. This thing that’s happening in the Middle East is bigger than everybody. This is what’s happening and, believe me, I understand what’s happening in Israel is a nightmare. What’s happening in Palestine is a nightmare,” he allegedly said.
“There’s only two kinds of people in the world: people who love other people and the people that have things to make them afraid to love other people. Pray for everyone in Israel. Pray for everyone in Palestine. And remember that every dead person is a dead person,” he allegedly added.
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.