Comedians are boycotting an upcoming comedy festival in Portugal over the headline appearance of Jerry Seinfeld.
The Daily Telegraph reports the performers are refusing to attend because of Seinfeld’s long-running support for Israel and will boycott the Commedia a la Carte Fest, which the comedian is due to close on Nov 1 in Lisbon, his first ever performance in the European country.
The outlet detailed some of the protests already made:
Cebola Mol, a comedy duo, were among the first to withdraw, announcing the boycott on Instagram with a picture of themselves with a slice of watermelon, a symbol of Palestinian resistance.
None of the artists have named Seinfeld but Inês Aires Pereira, the comedian and actress, said she had decided to withdraw because one of the performers on the programme “insistently defends indefensible ideas and actions”.
“We cannot relativise or normalise a genocide,” Ms Aires Pereira posted on social media.
Seinfeld has never shied away from public support for Israel – before and after the Oct 7, 2023 Hamas massacre.
Since then he has been the subject of a series of protests by pro-Palestinian groups and anti-Israel hecklers, as Breitbart News reported.
The Jewish comedian has spoken about being abused at shows by people slandering him with accusations of supporting genocide, describing such an attitude as “dumb” and “off-target.”
In 2024, students at Duke University reportedly jeered Seinfeld and staged a walkout when he was awarded an honorary doctorate.
Seinfeld was quick to act after the Oct. 7 slaughter of the innocents by Hamas, declaring his support for Israel and its people while acknowledging his “heart was breaking.”
The actor met with families of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip as well as with hostages released from Islamic terrorist captivity during his stay.