Jewish comedian faced antisemitic chants – but that's what disappointed him

Jewish comedian Mike Greenblatt was met with boos and chants of "Palestine" during a performance after revealing to the audience that he is Jewish. According to him, the show did not deal with Israel or politics. Greenblatt said it was the audience's reaction, remaining silent, that left him disappointed. The footage he posted garnered over 1.5 million views and sparked reactions online.

Jewish comedian Mike Greenblatt faced antisemitic chants during a performance after revealing at the start that he met his wife through a dating app for Jews. In response, one audience member booed him. Greenblatt, looking embarrassed, asked, "Should I start over?" but when he did, the same person escalated the tone and shouted, "Boo! Palestine!" Footage of the tense moments, which he shared on his Instagram account, garnered over 1.5 million views. Alongside the video, Greenblatt wrote: "If you felt uncomfortable watching this, imagine how uncomfortable I felt standing there. I'm posting this not because it's a great comedy clip, but because it's part of what I, as a Jewish comedian, have experienced." According to him, his performance does not deal with Israel and is apolitical, but that did not prevent the incident: "When I said I was Jewish, someone suddenly started shouting, 'Palestine, Palestine.'" Greenblatt clarified: "What bothered me most wasn't even the guy shouting. Feeling uncomfortable is part of my job, but the reaction around him – most of the audience remained silent." Criticism online was swift: "If you don't even say 'Israel' and they feel the need to insist or protest against 'Jews,' then yes, that's antisemitism," "Shouting 'Free Palestine' at a Jewish person just because they're Jewish is simply antisemitism. It amazes me how normalized antisemitism has become. No one hides it," "Palestine is the excuse used to express hatred of Jews, the hatred they've always felt," "Kick him out."