Pro-Palestine comedians boycott festival over Jerry Seinfeld’s inclusion

James BadcockMon, September 7, 2026 at 1:36 PM UTC

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Jerry Seinfeld has been outspoken in his support for Israel - LISA O'CONNOR/AFP

Comedians are boycotting a festival headlined by Jerry Seinfeld in protest against his support of Israel.

Five acts have cancelled their planned appearances at the Commedia a la Carte Fest, which Seinfeld is due to close on Nov 1 in Lisbon, his first ever performance in Portugal.

Comedy duo Cebola Mol 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 specifically namechecked 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 ideas and indefensible actions”.

“We cannot relativise or normalise a genocide,” Ms Aires Pereira posted on social media.

Cebola Mol announced their withdrawal on Instagram with a picture of themselves with a slice of watermelon

Seinfeld has been outspoken in his support for Israel since the Oct 7, 2023 massacre, and has been the subject of a series of protests by pro-Palestinian groups.

After the terror attack, the comedian travelled to Israel where he met survivors and families of hostages at Kibbutz Be’eri near the Gaza border, where around 100 Israeli civilians were killed.

Speaking on CBS News editor Bari Weiss’s Honestly podcast, Seinfeld cried when he described his visit to Israel after the atrocities as “the most powerful experience of my life”.

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He has since criticised the Free Palestine movement as anti-Semitic and, during a 2025 appearance at Duke University in North Carolina, likened pro-Palestinian rhetoric to that of the Ku Klux Klan.

“Free Palestine is, to me, just… you’re free to say you don’t like Jews. Just say you don’t like Jews.

“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.’ OK, that’s honest,” Seinfeld quipped.

On another occasion, an influencer posed for a selfie with Seinfeld and tried to get the comedian to say “Free Palestine”, to which the 72-year-old remarked: “I don’t care about Palestine.”

Seinfeld has spoken about being heckled at shows by people accusing him of supporting genocide, describing such an attitude as “dumb” and “off target”.

In 2024, students at Duke University jeered the comedian and staged a walkout when the comedian was awarded an honorary doctorate.

The Telegraph has asked the organisers of the festival to comment on the boycott.

On Friday, the festival said it “regretted to announce” that the first two acts had pulled out, without explaining the reason.

Over the weekend, a further three artists withdrew from the festival.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”