The Tribeca Festival has denounced a filmmaker and a social media influencer after they joked on the festival’s red carpet about sexual abuse by dogs, an apparent nod to a recent New York Times Opinion piece that included allegations by Palestinians that dogs were used to commit sexual abuse in Israeli prisons.
In a short video clip she posted online, Lizzy Savetsky, a social media influencer who has described herself as a “passionate advocate for Israel,” speaks with Elon Gold, a stand-up comedian and actor, and they joked about sexual assault.
“I was only raped by two Palestinian dogs,” Mr. Gold says in the short clip.
“I thought they only raped Palestinians,” Ms. Savetsky answers.
“No,” Mr. Gold responds. “I got also a dog.”
In a statement on social media on Saturday, the Tribeca Festival said the remarks were “offensive and unacceptable.”
“Sexual violence and human suffering should never be mocked or minimized,” the festival added.
In the video of the interaction, which is circulating on social media, the two also talk about Mr. Gold’s movie, “The Wedding Entertainer,” and he expresses his excitement about being at what he calls a “prestigious” film festival.
“Can’t wait for you guys to see this timeless Jewish film made in Israel!!” Ms. Savetsky wrote on Instagram before the movie’s premiere.
In a statement to The New York Times posted on Instagram on Sunday, Ms. Savetsky said, “If you want to talk about actual rape, then let’s talk about actual rape like the mass rape of Israeli women on Oct. 7 and onward.”
She added, “Humor and the arts are tools to be used to address real issues and to shed light in a way that gets people thinking and talking and that is what Elon was trying to do and that is what I believe the Tribeca Film Festival stands for.”
Mr. Gold did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Sunday.
Last month, a New York Times Opinion piece included an interview with a Palestinian journalist who said dogs were used to commit sexual abuse in Israeli prisons. The piece also cited other reports of police dogs being used to sexually abuse prisoners.
Israel’s prime minister threatened to sue The New York Times for defamation over the column. The Times said in a statement that the threat “aims to undermine independent reporting” and that “any such legal claim would be without merit.”
That same month, the United Nations added Israeli and Russian security forces for the first time to an annual report documenting sexual violence in conflicts, including allegations of rape and sexual abuse against Palestinian detainees and Ukrainian prisoners of war.
The list included Hamas, which led the October 2023 attack against Israel that started the war in Gaza. Russia and Hamas have denied accusations about sexual assault of prisoners.
“The Wedding Entertainer (The Tale of Moishe Badhan),” which stars Mr. Gold, is a comedy about a “disgraced Hasidic wedding-comedian” who needs one last gig to raise $20,000 that is required to marry off his daughter, according to the festival.
The event, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month and runs through June 14, was founded after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks with a goal to revitalize Lower Manhattan.
Claire Moses is a Times reporter in London, focused on coverage of breaking and trending news.
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