During an appearance at Duke University on Tuesday, comedian Jerry Seinfeld equated the phrase "Free Palestine" with antisemitism and made a controversial comparison to the Ku Klux Klan. His remarks were reported by The Chronicle, the university's student newspaper.
“Free Palestine is, to me, just — you’re free to say you don’t like Jews,” Seinfeld stated during the event. He suggested that the slogan is an indirect way to express antisemitic views.
Seinfeld elaborated by comparing the phrase to the rhetoric of the Ku Klux Klan, arguing the latter is more direct in its expression of hate. “Just say you don’t like Jews. By saying ‘Free Palestine,’ you’re not admitting what you really think," he said. "So it’s actually — compared to the Ku Klux Klan, 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.”
The comments are the latest instance of Seinfeld publicly addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He has been a vocal supporter of Israel, particularly following the events of October 7, and visited the country in December 2023 to meet with the families of hostages. His wife, Jessica Seinfeld, has also faced criticism for her support of a group that funded IDF soldiers and Israeli settlemen
ts.