ALBAWABA - Located in the UAE city of Abu Dhabi To applause from his audience in the UAE capital, American comedian Dave Chappelle said Thursday that the Gaza Strip is experiencing a "genocide" due to the Israel-Hamas conflict, and he urged his countrymen to combat antisemitism so that Jews would no longer feel the need for Israel's protection.
Despite harsh criticism of Israel's actions throughout the seven-month conflict, Abu Dhabi has maintained diplomatic ties with the Jewish state, prompting Chappelle to make these remarks.
The United Arab Emirates is a confederation of seven sheikdoms on the Arabian Peninsula; nevertheless, unlike the rest of the Middle East, where pro-Palestinian marches have been commonplace since the conflict broke out, the country's rulers have imposed strong limitations on public assembly and expression.
As Chappelle's travel companion DJ Trauma played the Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf's "My Blood is Palestinian" before Chappelle even took the stage, the sold-out audience in Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena erupted in applause. One staple of Chappelle's performances is having the thousands of spectators put their turned-off phones in secured pouches for the duration of the performance.
Near the middle of a broad comedy act in Abu Dhabi, Muslim Chappelle first claimed that his pals had advised him to talk about the war or not. A lady shouted, "Free Palestine!" from the crowd. Applause erupted from the spectators.
After that, Chappelle called what's happening in the Gaza Strip "genocide." Additionally, he said that if anti-Semitism were to decline in the United States, Jews would come to understand that Israel isn't their only security option.
There was another instance that highlighted the wide range of people in the Abu Dhabi audience. Another guy in the crowd screamed back to Chappelle when he exclaimed "l'chaim," which means "to life" in Hebrew, while making another joke about how Jews celebrate when drinking.
But when Chappelle brought up the next US election, the crowd went wild when he mentioned Joe Biden, who has pledged "ironclad" support for Israel. Donald Trump was met with dispersed applause.
Chappelle, like other performers, used profanity and made explicit jokes throughout the show. Despite Chappelle's sneaky joke about the UAE's massive surveillance network and another deadpanning about "how difficult it is to be gay" in a place where homosexuality is prohibited, they mostly avoided talking about local politics.
The falcon, a national emblem of the United Arab Emirates, adorned his arm as he stepped onto the platform.
Chappelle received the 2019 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the age of fifty. He performed live at the Abu Dhabi Comedy Week.
