This article was originally published at StateOfUnion.org. Publications approved for syndication have permission to republish this article, such as Microsoft News, Yahoo News, Newsbreak, UltimateNewswire and others. To learn more about syndication opportunities, visit About Us.
Jerry Seinfeld’s commencement speech at Duke University led to student walkouts amidst ongoing pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses nationwide.
During the commencement ceremony where the “Seinfeld” co-creator was set to address the audience, video footage shared on social media captured groups of students leaving the venue.
Some of these students carried Palestinian flags, signaling their protest against Seinfeld’s backing of Israel.
In contrast, other attendees voiced their support for Seinfeld by chanting “Jerry!” countering the protests.
Following Hamas’ fatal attack on October 7, the comedian traveled to Israel last year.
On Oct. 9, Seinfeld posted an “I Stand With Israel” graphic on social media, writing, “I lived and worked on a Kibbutz in Israel when I was 16 and I have loved our Jewish homeland ever since. My heart is breaking from these attacks and atrocities.”
Seinfeld expressed his surprise at the “hostile” reception he received for his visit to Israel in an interview with GQ released in April.
Despite the reaction, he stated that he has no regrets about the trip.
“I don’t preach about it,” he told the outlet. “I have my personal feelings about it that I discuss privately. It’s not part of what I can do comedically, but my feelings are very strong.”
During an appearance on “In Depth With Graham Bensinger” the previous month, Seinfeld shared his sentiments, expressing “very close to the struggle of being Jewish in the world.”
He added that antisemitism “seems to be rekindling in some areas” and that he wanted to “be supportive to the Israelis.”
Macklemore supports college protesters in a pro-Palestine song and criticizes Biden by stating, ‘I’m not voting for you’
In the past few weeks, students at various universities in the United States have been protesting against Israel’s actions in the Gaza war and calling for their colleges to disinvest from the country.
“Seinfeld” was recognized for featuring guest stars like Bryant Gumbel. Jerry’s character had a notable cameo on NBC’s “Today” show, sporting the iconic puffy shirt.
Despite receiving an honorary degree from Duke University, Seinfeld did not acknowledge the student walkouts in his commencement speech, nor did he make any statements regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict.
On the contrary, the director of “Unfrosted” presented a humorous address to the students, saying, “I can’t imagine how sick you are of hearing about following your passion. I say, the hell with passion. Find something you can do. That would be great. If you try something and it doesn’t work, that’s okay, too. Most things do not work.”
Seinfeld commended the graduates for their aspirations to “to create a more just and inclusive society” before adding that they should “not lose your sense of humor.”