Jerry Seinfeld Boycott Grows at Lisbon Comedy Festival Over Israel Support

A new international comedy festival set to open next month in Lisbon, Portugal, is facing controversy before its launch, with several artists withdrawing due to the planned headlining appearance of American comedian Jerry Seinfeld. The boycott stems from Seinfeld's vocal and unwavering support for Israel.

Portuguese actress Inês Aires Pereira announced her withdrawal from the festival to The Hollywood Reporter, stating, "We cannot normalize genocide." She explained her decision by saying, "One of the names consistently defends ideas and actions that I consider indefensible. We cannot normalize genocide."

The Portuguese comedy duo Cebola Mol also announced their withdrawal via social media, posting an image of a watermelon, a symbol associated with Palestine, and stating, "We will celebrate justice, freedom, and joy with you on another occasion."

Seinfeld, who is Jewish, has previously faced anti-Israel protests. In 2024, demonstrators disrupted one of his shows, shouting anti-Israel slogans. Seinfeld responded humorously, "You're back! The protesters are back! I missed you." He added that their protest was unsuccessful as it ultimately supported a Jew. In another incident, a pro-Palestinian heckler repeatedly interrupted a performance until Seinfeld removed him from the venue, telling him, "This is a comedy show, you idiot, get out of here. You have three seconds before you get beaten up," to applause from the audience.