‘You guys are evil,’ antisemitic heckler shouts at US Jewish comedian

Jewish comedian Lucas Zelnick posted footage of an audience member heckling him onstage with antisemitic remarks, including "I'm against Jews" and "You guys are evil, considering what's happening in Palestine." Zelnick, who discusses his Jewish identity in his routines, replied that he is pro-Palestine but that not all Jews bear responsibility. The article places the incident in a series of similar episodes targeting Jewish comics in the US.

Jewish stand-up comedian Lucas Zelnick on Wednesday posted footage of an audience member heckling him with antisemitic remarks during a performance, the latest in a series of such incidents targeting Jewish comics in the United States. In the video, the woman shouts, "I'm against Jews," and later, "You guys are evil, considering what's happening in Palestine." Zelnick, a New York City-based comic who discusses his Jewish identity in his routines, reacted with disbelief and asked her for clarification while other audience members responded with shock. "But that's not all Jews. Like I'm here, right? And I'm pro-Palestine," Zelnick said. "There are a lot of Jews being naughty in Israel right now, but it's not all Jews, and it's not because they're Jews." He added: "I care about being Jewish. I think what's happening in Israel is horrible, but those are two different things." He asked the woman whether she was a "young leftist," and she demanded he provide an "answer" and "more depth." Other audience members took his side and asked for her to be ejected; Zelnick asked her for more "nuances" and she walked out. The footage did not make clear where the show took place; his recent performances were in New York, Minnesota and California. The article cites earlier incidents: comic Mike Glazer posted footage last year of a heckler calling him a "Jew pig" and a "Jew fuck," and in April an audience member shouted "You're a Jew" at comedian Judy Gold in New York City. Anti-Zionist protesters have repeatedly heckled Jerry Seinfeld. Eitan Levine, a Jewish comedian in New York City, told The Times of Israel on Thursday that antisemitic harassment of Jewish comedians is not common, but the "fact that it's happening at all is new." He said most of the public holds "totally normal, milquetoast views on Israel, on Jews," while some have subscribed to antisemitic tropes and conspiracies.