‘Palisades or Palestine’: Dave Chappelle tackles Middle East politics in ‘Saturday Night Live’ monologue
Comedian praised former President Jimmy Carter’s empathy for the Palestinians
Comedian Dave Chappelle hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’ for the fourth time on Jan. 18. Courtesy of NBC
By Benyamin Cohen January 19, 2025
Comedian Dave Chappelle, whose Nov. 2022 Saturday Night Live monologue was widely criticized as antisemitic, steered clear of similar jokes when he hosted the show again on Saturday. But he did discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“I was in the Middle East years ago, after I quit my show, I was trying to find out what I wanted to do with my life,” Chappelle, 51, said. “While I was there, Jimmy Carter flew to Israel.”
Chappelle recalled that it was around the time of the 2006 publication of Carter’s controversial book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. “People were very mad in Israel. There was a lot of mean stories that came out in the paper, but some people were supportive. And while he was there, Jimmy Carter said, ‘I want to go to the Palestinian territory. And the Israeli government said, ‘It’s too dangerous. And if you go, we cannot protect you.’”
Chappelle — dressed in a navy suit, black tie and smoking a cigarette — got emotional when he told the audience in Rockefeller Plaza’s Studio 8H the next part of the story. “I will never forget the images of a former American president walking with little to no security while thousands of Palestinians were cheering him on,” Chappelle said. “When I saw that picture, it brought tears to my eyes. I said, ‘I don’t know if that’s a good president, but that right there, I am sure, is a great man.’ It made me feel very proud.”
Addressing President-elect Trump, whose inauguration is Monday, Chappelle said, “The presidency is no place for petty people.” The comedian concluded by referencing the wildfires in Los Angeles and pleading with Trump to “not forget your humanity and please have empathy for displaced people, whether they’re in the Palisades or Palestine.”
Dave Chappelle, Kanye West and Kyrie Irving
Chappelle’s 2022 hosting gig happened while Kanye West, the rapper who changed his name to Ye, was under fire for a series of antisemitic tirades. Chappelle mocked West, saying that in his decades of performing he has learned that there are “two words in the English language that you should never say together in sequence: ‘The’ and ‘Jews.’”
Chappelle added that, “I’ve been to Hollywood and — no one get mad at me — I’m just telling you what I saw,” he said. “It’s a lot of Jews. Like a lot.”
He said the “delusion that Jews run show business” is “not a crazy thing to think,” but “it’s a crazy thing to say out loud.” He also said of West, “It’s a big deal, he had broken the show business rules. You know, the rules of perception. If they’re Black, then it’s a gang. If they’re Italian, it’s a mob. If they’re Jewish, it’s a coincidence and you should never speak about it.”
Chappelle also alluded to a controversy surrounding Kyrie Irving, a seven-time NBA all-star, who was asked to meet with Jewish leaders after tweeting about a film that promotes a series of antisemitic canards.
“This is where I draw the line,” Chappelle said. “I know the Jewish people have been through terrible things all over the world, but you can’t blame that on Black Americans.”
The response to the 15-minute monologue was swift and sustained. The story dominated the news cycle for weeks.
Saturday Night Live is in the middle of celebrating its 50th season. On Jan. 25, actor Timothée Chalamet will join the likes of the Rolling Stones and Jennifer Lopez as the rare performer to both host and perform as the music act on the show. Chalamet is currently starring in a movie as Bob Dylan, which uses Chalamet’s vocals to recreate the songs of the Jewish troubadour.
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