Actor-comedian Elon Gold and pro-Israel influencer Lizzy Savetsky are facing backlash after making an “offensive” joke in an interview on the red carpet for “The Wedding Entertainer (The Tale of Moishe Badhan)” at the Tribeca Festival.
In the interview, Gold said the film was shot in Israel. “I was only raped by two Israeli dogs,” he said.
“I thought they only rape Palestinians,” Savetsky replied, to which he said: “No, I got also a dog.”
The clip spread widely on social media and drew outrage. In a statement posted on social media, the Tribeca Festival called the remarks “offensive and unacceptable.”
“Sexual violence and human suffering should never be mocked or minimized,” the statement said. “The comments do not reflect the Tribeca Festival’s values, and we regret the hurt and offense they have caused.”
The statement said the festival had not been able to reach the filmmakers. A Tribeca spokesperson said Savetsky was not in the film and was not credentialed by the festival, but was invited to the premiere by the film team.
Gold’s manager did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a video statement posted to social media, Savetsky said the remarks were in reference to a “ridiculous claim” in the New York Times that Israeli officials trained dogs to rape Palestinians.
The paper “published this piece with zero evidence. And we’re all just supposed to sit here with a straight face and take it like it is some sort of truth.”
She added that the film festival is a “forum that is meant to spark dialogue” and that Jewish comedians throughout history have used humor as a way to cope with anti-Semitism.
“The Wedding Entertainer” tells the story of a disgraced Hasidic comedian who is looking to book one last gig to raise the $20,000 he needs to marry off his daughter. He convinces his childhood best friend to let him co-host his son’s wedding alongside a “younger and flashier” wedding MC — played by Gold — who had already been hired. Gold is also an executive producer.
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