Stand-up comedian and actor Dave Chappelle drew cheers from his audience in Abu Dhabi on Thursday by reportedly calling the Israeli war on Hamas terrorists in Gaza a “genocide.”
The capital of the federation of seven sheikdoms that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the Arabian Peninsula delivered the audience that cheered on Chappelle’s observations.
AP reports the full crowd at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena cheered as DJ Trauma, who accompanied Chappelle on the trip, played the song “My Blood is Palestinian” by the Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf.
About halfway through in a wide-ranging comedy set Chappelle, a Muslim, initially said he had been told by his friends either to discuss the war or not.
From the audience, a woman screamed: “Free Palestine!” The crowd cheered, according to the outlet.
Chappelle then referred to the war as a “genocide” and said that making Jews safer in America amid rising cases of antisemitism would make them realize they don’t need Israel as an ultimate protector, the AP report detailed.
This is not the first time Chappelle has offered his thoughts on events in the Middle East.
As Breitbart News reported, Chappelle allegedly went on a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel rant at a show in Boston last year, which prompted significant backlash before he sought to clear the air.
During the show, he allegedly said that people expressing support for Palestine following the horrific terrorist attack on Israel should not lose their jobs.
He also allegedly said that Israel has been committing war crimes in Gaza while accusing the “U.S. of aiding the slaughter of innocent civilians.”
When audience members allegedly shouted “Free Palestine,” some Jewish members in the audience reported that they felt sick to the point of leaving.
Chappelle later said his comments were misquoted.
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