NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Comedian Jerry Seinfeld turned the tables on anti-Israel protesters who tried to derail his performance in Chicago last Friday, mocking the protesters as security removed them from the venue. A viral video of the confrontation shows activists shouting at Seinfeld at the Chicago Theater, accusing Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza and alleging that American taxpayer money is funding the deaths of thousands of civilians. “Twenty-two thousand Palestinians who are now children are murdered with our taxpayers’ money, AND you’re making jokes!” one woman screamed in clips posted online. JERRY SEINFELD GIVES A BEHAVIORAL THREE-WORD RESPONSE TO AN INFLUENCER CALLING FOR ‘FREE PALESTINE’ Comedian Jerry Seinfeld attended the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix’s “Unfrosted” at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood on April 30, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images) Seinfeld then dances on stage and mocks protesters with sarcastic comments, calling himself a “racist” and saying, “It’s genocide. I’m in on it.” He also joked that he would find out how much protesters paid for their tickets and send the money directly to Israel. As security personnel escorted protesters out of the auditorium, an audience member shouted, “Kill her!” They were met with protests and are not welcome on Chicago stages without opposition. PROTESTERS LABEL MAMDANI A ‘TRAITOR,’ ACCUSE HIM OF ‘GENOCIDE’ OUTSIDE THE OCTOBER 7 VIGIL Comedian and media analyst Tim Young told Fox News Digital that he believes protesters are paying a lot of money to hijack comedy shows to get viral attention instead of political speech. “They know that once they start yelling, everyone will take out their cameras, and it’s a very direct interaction and maybe one of the only direct interactions that protesters get to have with celebrities and with the Internet. Young said, “If you’re in a very intimate setting where everyone is silent, listening to one person, They will listen to you. And that’s what they’re taking advantage of here.” Protesters gather outside the Paramount Theater before a benefit performance by comedian Jerry Seinfeld on Jan. 18, 2026, in Aurora, Illinois. Protesters called for a boycott over Seinfeld’s support for Israel amid the conflict in Gaza. (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images) Young compared the disruptions at Seinfeld shows to protests at political rallies, arguing that some activists are willing to pay high ticket prices to confront the comedian. “It seems like people go to Jerry Seinfeld’s shows as if they were going to a Trump rally to protest,” Young said. “They wanted to get Jerry’s attention. They want, for some reason, they’re very, very adamant about getting him to react to the Israel-Palestine conflict.” Young also linked the interruptions to Seinfeld’s past criticism of college performances. 30% of college students say violence is an acceptable way to stop campus speakers, according to a survey. “That’s why Jerry doesn’t like going to perform on college campuses. And he said he hates performing on college campuses specifically for that reason,” Young said. “He doesn’t want to get into political issues. He doesn’t want protesters yelling at him. It’s a waste of the rest of the audience’s time, and he knows it.” Comedian Jerry Seinfeld performs during the 18th Annual Stand Up for Heroes Benefit at David Geffen Hall on November 11, 2024 in New York City. (Valerie Terranova/Getty Images for the Bob Woodruff Foundation) In May 2024, dozens of students walked out during Seinfeld’s commencement speech at Duke University, some carrying Palestinian flags. Seinfeld returned to the university in September 2025 to introduce freed Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov at an event on campus, where he addressed anti-Israel protests and said, “To me, free Palestine is fair; you are free to say you don’t like Jews. Just say you don’t like Jews.” By saying ‘Free Palestine,’ you’re not admitting what you really think,” he said. “So actually, compared to the Ku Klux Klan, I think the Klan is a little better here because they can directly say, ‘We don’t like black people, we don’t like Jews.’ Okay, that’s honest.” Seinfeld also faced controversy abroad last month when several European acts pulled out of the inaugural MEO Commedia a La Carte Fest in Lisbon, Portugal, where he is scheduled to headline later this year. The acts did not name Seinfeld directly in their withdrawal statements, but some cited concerns about the conflict between Israel and Gaza. One artist said someone involved in the festival defended ideas he considered indefensible. Young, who previously dismissed efforts to cancel Seinfeld for his support of Israel, argued that protesters are targeting the billionaire comedian because of his influence and celebrity status. ‘And they’re not going to have it.’ Madison Colombo is a writer on Fox News Digital’s Flash, Media and Culture team, covering daily breaking news and current affairs with an award-winning background in broadcast and digital journalism.
