DUBAI: The Tribeca Film Festival condemned a set of “offensive” jokes made by comedians Elon Gold and Lizzy Savetsky on the red carpet about the rape of Palestinian people.
In a statement, the film festival said: “The Tribeca Festival is aware of the concerns raised regarding a clip circulating on social media and unequivocally condemns the offensive and unacceptable remarks made by Elon Gold and Lizzy Savetsky at the premiere of ‘The Wedding Entertainer.’
“Sexual violence and human suffering should never be mocked or minimized.
“The comments do not reflect the Tribeca Festival’s values, and we regret the hurt and offense they have caused. We have not been able to reach the filmmakers,” they said.
Referring to the Gidi Dar film “The Wedding Entertainer,” which was set and filmed in Israel, Gold told Savetsky: “I was only raped by two Israeli dogs.”
Savetsky replied, “I thought they only raped Palestinians.” To which they both laughed and Gold responded, saying, “No, I also got a dog.”
These statements come amid reports of sexual violence against Palestinians by Israeli soldiers. In an opinion piece by Nicholas Kristof that ran in The New York Times, the journalist included testimony by Palestinians that included allegations of bestiality, rape and sexual assault by Israeli soldiers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to sue the NYT and Kristof for defamation. In response, the NYT said the information included in the report was verified and came from trusted and accurate sources.
