Jewish comedian Jerry Seinfeld was the target of protests at the renowned Duke University, in North Carolina, this Sunday (12), after being invited to speak at a ceremony for university students completing their degrees.
This is the latest student mobilization against Israel in American educational institutions, which began last month. Dozens of students, including some who carried Palestinian flags, left the event due to the presence of the Jewish artist, while others shouted “Free Palestine” and the actor’s name was followed by boos.
“Thank you. My God, what a beautiful day,” said Seinfeld at the opening of his speech, after some of the graduates left the place.
The comedian, who studied at Duke, ignored the protest and focused on talking about his childhood as a Jewish boy in New York. According to him, it was a “privilege to be able to attend a high-quality institution like Duke.”
“I know a lot of you are thinking ‘I can’t believe they asked this guy’. Too late. I say, use your privilege. I grew up as a Jewish boy in New York. That’s a privilege if you want to be a comedian,” he said. .
While he was speaking, a group of protesters gathered outside the venue and carried out a new act calling for the university to cut investments in companies linked to Israel and which, according to them, “profit” from the war in Gaza.
Duke University spokesman Frank Tramble released a statement on the situation. “We understand the depth of feeling in our community, as we have throughout the year, and we respect the right of everyone at Duke to express their views peacefully without preventing graduates and their families from celebrating this moment,” says the note.
Since the beginning of the conflict, Seinfeld has publicly positioned himself in favor of the offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. He even visited Israel in December last year, two months after the start of the war, to meet with relatives of people cowardly kidnapped and held captive by terrorists.
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