Comedian Nadav Abukasis Says Being Right-Wing Is Harder Than Coming Out
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Comedian Nadav Abukasis described an encounter with actress Orly Zilberschatz where she confronted him over his support for the Police Commissioner. Abukasis stated on a podcast that living as a right-wing individual in Israel is currently more difficult than coming out. He has reduced his public political commentary due to online hostility and believes the societal divide is between optimists and pessimists. Abukasis previously called for national unity and criticized political "cults."
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Comedian Nadav Abukasis stated that being right-wing in Israel is more challenging than coming out.
- Abukasis recounted an encounter with actress Orly Zilberschatz who questioned his support for the Police Commissioner.
- He avoids reading online comments due to "vitriol and hatred."
- Abukasis has reduced his participation in political programs to focus on his comedy career.
- He believes the societal divide is between those focusing on the country's positives versus negatives.
Israeli comedian and actor Nadav Abukasis described a recent encounter with actress Orly Zilberschatz in Tel Aviv, which he felt highlighted the challenges of expressing dissenting opinions in the industry. Abukasis recounted that after attending Zilberschatz's play, he met her at a traffic light and complimented her performance. Zilberschatz then questioned his public support for Police Commissioner Dani Levy, following the exposure of recordings Levy made against the LGBTQ+ community. When Abukasis offered to explain his reasoning, Zilberschatz refused and left abruptly.
Speaking on the "Ha'Liberal" podcast, Abukasis expressed surprise at the reaction, emphasizing that freedom of expression and humor do not equate to homophobia. He stated that in contemporary Israel, living as a right-wing individual is more challenging than the process of coming out, which has become more widely accepted over time. Abukasis shared that he avoids reading online comments on articles about him due to the vitriol and hatred he has encountered, particularly after a piece published in Ha'aretz.
Due to the hostile discourse and lack of listening, Abukasis has reduced his participation in current affairs programs. After four years as a panelist on Niv Raskin's morning show, he concluded that political involvement was overshadowing his artistic work and harming his career as a comedian, leading him to step back. Abukasis believes the societal rift is not solely defined by the left-right political divide or support for Netanyahu, but rather by a split between those who focus on the positive aspects of the country and those who dwell on the negative.
He added that he believes in long-term social processes over empty slogans. These sentiments echo comments he made last month, calling for national unity and criticizing political "cults" that focus on trivial matters instead of important issues.
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