Jerry Seinfeld compared “Free Palestine” supporters to the Ku Klux Klan during an event at Duke University, calling them “actually worse.”
TitlHe claimed that the Klan, unlike Free Palestine activists, at least “comes right out” and openly declares its hate, while protesters hide behind slogans.e 2
Seinfeld made the remarks while introducing Omer Shem Tov, a 22-year-old Israeli who was taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct. 7, 2023 Nova music festival attack.
The event at Duke was organized by Chabad at Duke, a Jewish student group, to raise awareness of the 40+ hostages still held in Gaza.
The Duke Chronicle, the university’s student newspaper, first reported Seinfeld’s controversial comments.
A Duke University spokesperson clarified that invited speakers’ remarks are not vetted by the school, and invitations do not imply endorsement.
Mason Herman, president of Chabad at Duke, said the purpose was not political but to highlight Omer’s ordeal and the ongoing hostage crisis.
Seinfeld has been a vocal supporter of Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis and led to about 250 hostages being taken.
Meanwhile, the war’s toll in Gaza has been devastating — over 64,000 Palestinians killed, according to Gaza health officials, fueling pro-Palestine activism on U.S. campuses.
Seinfeld’s appearance at Duke comes after student protests against his 2024 commencement speech, where he was met with boos, walkouts, and Palestinian flags.