Jewish Comedian Recounts Heckling at New York Show

Comedian Mikey Greenblatt described an unsettling incident during a recent performance at a New York comedy club. What began as a routine opening joke took a sharp turn when, immediately after Greenblatt mentioned his Jewish identity, shouts of "Palestine, Palestine" erupted from the audience.

Greenblatt clarified in a social media post that his joke was not political or related to Israel, stating, "It was my opening joke, there was nothing political or related to Israel in it. I just said I was Jewish, and someone immediately started shouting 'Palestine, Palestine'."

Beyond the disruptive chants, Greenblatt expressed his dismay at the audience's reaction. He noted that while most of the crowd remained silent, a portion of the attendees even cheered in response to the pro-Palestinian calls.

Greenblatt shared the experience to illustrate the challenges faced by Jewish comedians in the current climate. He also touched upon the ongoing debate regarding the overlap between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, remarking, "And this is exactly the part that is difficult for me when people insist that anti-Zionism and antisemitism never overlap."