Artists withdraw from Lisbon comedy festival amid controversy over Jerry Seinfeld’s Palestine remarks

Several performers have withdrawn from a Portuguese comedy festival scheduled to feature Jerry Seinfeld as its headliner.

The MEO Commedia a La Carte Fest—also known as the Lisbon International Humour Festival—will stage Seinfeld at the MEO Arena on 1 November.

Among those who have left the line-up is Inês Aires Pereira, who removed her show Namastê from the programme. Although she did not identify Seinfeld by name, she said that “one of the names insistently defends ideas and acts that I consider indefensible” and added: “We cannot relativise or normalise a genocide.”

The comedy duo Cebola Mol, comprising Eduardo Madeira and Filipe Homem Fonseca, also announced that they would leave the festival.

“We will celebrate justice, freedom and joy with you on another occasion,” the pair said.

Other performers have departed without providing a public explanation. They include Tributo Pop—Carolina Deslandes, Tatanka and Bárbara Tinoco—the group Conjunto Cuca Monga, comedian Pedro Tochas and visual artist Vhils, whose real name is Alexandre Farto.

The withdrawals follow a recent social-media broadcast in which Seinfeld told an influencer that Palestine “doesn’t exist”.

Seinfeld, a long-standing and outspoken supporter of Israel, also made headlines last year during an unannounced appearance at Duke University, when he compared the Free Palestine movement with the Ku Klux Klan.

“Free Palestine is, to me, just — you’re free to say you don’t like Jews. Just say you don’t like Jews,” he said.

“By saying ‘Free Palestine’, you’re not admitting what you really think,” Seinfeld continued. “So it’s actually — compared to the Ku Klux Klan, I’m actually thinking the Klan is actually a little better here because they can come right out and say, ‘We don’t like Blacks, we don’t like Jews.’ OK, that’s honest.”

In another appearance, he said “I don’t care about Palestine” at the 50th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live. During a 2024 Sydney show, he also confronted an audience member who repeatedly voiced support for Palestine.

As the protester was being led from the venue, Seinfeld told the cheering audience: “We have a genius, ladies and gentlemen. He solved the Middle East!”

He added: “It’s the Jewish comedians, that’s who we have to get! They’re the ones doing everything.”

The man continued shouting “Palestine will be free” as he was escorted away. Seinfeld responded: “Go ahead, keep going! They’re going to start punching you in about three seconds so I would try to get all of your genius out so we can all learn from you.”

“It’s a comedy show, you moron!” he said. “Get out of here.”

Neither Seinfeld nor the festival organisers had made a public statement about the withdrawals at the time of publication.

NME contacted the pro-Palestinian BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement for comment.

A United Nations commission found last year that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and said more recently that genocidal acts were continuing in attacks targeting children. Amnesty International has also concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

Israel has repeatedly denied committing genocide or war crimes, arguing that its military campaign is an act of self-defence following the Hamas-led attack at the Nova music festival on 7 October 2023. That assault killed 344 civilians and 34 members of the security forces and resulted in 44 people being taken hostage. Israel has rejected the UN findings as “distorted and false” and a “libellous sham”.

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