Fans Weren’t Feeling Dave Chappelle’s Soapbox On ‘Slaughter Of Innocent’ Palestinians

Dave Chappelle lost some members of his audience over the weekend after tackling a sensitive subject matter: the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The comedian was near the close of his standup show at Boston’s TD Garden on October 19, when he decided to offer his take on the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Israeli-Hamas war, The Wall Street Journal reports. After first condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, Chappelle prompted some guests to walk out after calling out Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.

The Chappelle’s Show star brought up the topic after defending students who have reportedly lost their job offers for showing public support for Palestine.

Attendees say that once an audience member told Chappelle to “shut up,” the comedian dug further into the controversial topic by criticizing the Israeli government for cutting off water supply and essential resources to Gaza and accusing them of killing innocent people.

He also reportedly accused the United States government of aiding “the slaughter of innocent civilians,” TMZ reports.

Chappelle’s take received mixed reviews from the crowd, with some applauding him with cheers of “Free Palestine” to others getting up and leaving. The comedy star reportedly ended his rant on the Israel-Hamas war, saying two wrongs don’t make a right.

“The audience was cheering Chappelle on during his tirade. I was sick. We were sick. I turned to my friends and wife and said, ‘I think it is time to go,'” one guest said, according to Deadline.

“We walked out and met up with many other Jews leaving the show,” added someone else. “Never in my life have I felt so unsafe and so fearful of what I was witnessing.”

Chappelle is no stranger to facing backlash for expressing his views during his comedy shows, including his views on the trans community.