Members of the community in Madison, WI raised the alarm to our local arts center about them allowing Jerry Seinfeld to perform in their space. We reached out kindly and raised our concerns about Seinfeld’s hate speech and disregard for Palestinian life in the wake of the genocide in Gaza.
We want to be clear - we believe in free speech. Hate speech is not free speech. If mass murder of civilians is not a red line for us all, what a disturbing implication that any community could be genocided if we’re encouraged to empathize with the murderers. Seinfeld has traveled to Israel, stood with Israel even as it slaughters women and children, and used his fame to protect Israel from accountability. Help us ask Overture to meet with us to discuss the matter further and educate them on the implications of having genocide supporters perform at their spaces.