Laughing at the world: The Israeli stand-up comedian who upgraded his English after 10/7 to fight antisemitism
Israeli stand-up comedian Yochai Sponder upgraded his English after October 7 and launched an international show. In an interview with 'Cabinet Shishi' he talks about conquering the US, his decision to display Jewish symbols prominently, and the fight against antisemitism through humor.
Israeli stand-up comedian Yochai Sponder made a decision shortly after October 7, 2026: to upgrade his English and launch an international show. The decision changed his life and turned him into a successful stand-up comedian outside Israel as well. He fills venues in the United States and breaks box office records in Europe. At the same time, he decided to display his Jewish symbols prominently and fight antisemitism on stage. In a special interview broadcast on the program 'Cabinet Shishi', he told Dror Rafael about conquering the US and his decision to walk around with a large Star of David on his chest. Sponder explained his choice to promote the Israeli narrative: 'Stand-up is basically what happened to you this week. What happened to me this week is that there was a war, and the whole world is against us for a war in which we were attacked. That's what happened to me this week for several years.' He also addressed the hatred of Israel in the world and said: 'People say: "I'm not antisemitic, I'm allowed to criticize the government in Israel." That's true - you're not antisemitic if you criticize the government in Israel and other governments, but if you've never criticized any other government, and you have no connection to the State of Israel or the Middle East, and suddenly the Israeli government bothers you, then you're a bit antisemitic.'