Jerry Seinfeld just dropped a doozy at Duke — telling students that “Free Palestine” reads like antisemitic hate speech and even likening it to the KKK. The one-liner has exploded online, reigniting the same campus fights that greeted Seinfeld’s 2024 degree controversy and sending social feeds into meltdown.
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, 71, made the comments during a surprise appearance at Duke University on Tuesday, where he introduced freed Hamas hostage Omer Shem Tov. Seinfeld argued that the phrase “Free Palestine” masks hostility toward Jews.
“Free Palestine is, to me, just — you’re free to say you don’t like Jews. Just say you don’t like Jews,” he told the audience, according to Duke’s student newspaper The Chronicle. He went further, suggesting the Ku Klux Klan was at least “honest” about its hatred.
The remarks came at a Chabad at Duke gathering organized for Shem Tov, who shared his story of surviving 505 days in Hamas captivity. A Duke spokesperson later clarified that Seinfeld requested his role not be publicized in advance, and that the university does not endorse or pre-screen remarks from invited speakers.
Seinfeld, who is Jewish, has frequently drawn controversy over his views on Israel’s war in Gaza. He traveled to Israel in December 2023 to meet with families of hostages abducted during the October 7 Hamas attacks.
In May 2024, when Duke awarded him an honorary degree, dozens of students staged a walkout during his commencement address, some chanting “Free Palestine” in protest.
The comedian’s stance has also triggered confrontations at his shows. In Sydney last June, hecklers chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” disrupted his set. Seinfeld snapped back with sarcasm, telling the crowd, “We have a genius, ladies and gentlemen. He solved the Middle East!” before the heckler was escorted out.
Seinfeld’s wife, Jessica, has also been caught in the controversy. She donated $5,000 in April 2024 to a pro-Israeli group that staged a counterprotest against a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California. That demonstration turned violent, drawing further scrutiny.
