Seinfeld Speech at Duke Commencement Prompts Walkout Protesting his Support for Israel
Dozens of students walked out of Duke University’s commencement ceremony on Sunday as some chanted “free Palestine” to protest its...
The post Seinfeld Speech at Duke Commencement Prompts Walkout Protesting his Support for Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
Jerry Seinfeld attends the premiere of Netflix’s “Unfrosted” at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 30, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/David Swanson/File Photo
Dozens of students walked out of Duke University’s commencement ceremony on Sunday as some chanted “free Palestine” to protest its guest speaker, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who has supported Israel throughout the war in Gaza, according to a video posted on social media.
Figures in robes and caps, some waving Palestinian flags, were seen filing out of crowds of graduates assembled on the grass in the North Carolina University’s football stadium in the video posted on X. Reuters was able to verify the video’s date and location.
The video also showed several attendees leaving the viewing stands, including a person wearing a keffiyeh, an emblem of solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
Others shouted “Jerry! Jerry!” as the actor received an honorary degree, and Seinfeld delivered his speech without major interruptions.
“A lot of you are thinking, ‘I can’t believe they invited this guy.’ Too late,” he said, after vowing to “defend” the concept of privilege.
“I say, use your privilege. I grew up a Jewish boy from New York. That is a privilege if you want to be a comedian,” he added.
Seinfeld visited Israel and has vocally supported it since Oct. 7 when terrorist group Hamas killed 1,200 people and abducted 252 others, of whom 133 are believed to remain in captivity in Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
The White House said on Tuesday that U.S. President Joe Biden welcomes peaceful protests at college commencement ceremonies where he and other administration officials will speak.
The walkout at Duke’s graduation was the latest manifestation of protests that have roiled U.S. campuses as students call for universities to divest from arms suppliers and other companies profiting from the war, and amnesty for students and faculty who have been disciplined or fired for protesting.
The walkout was the latest manifestation of anti-Israel protests that have roiled US campuses as students call for universities to divest from entities linked to the Jewish state and amnesty for students and faculty members who have been disciplined or fired for violating school rules.
The post Seinfeld Speech at Duke Commencement Prompts Walkout Protesting his Support for Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.