“Saturday Night Live” cast member Michael Che is in bad shape after making a joke on this week’s “Weekend Update” segment that some considered anti-Semitic.
While most of the opening segment was devoted to criticizing Texas Senator Ted Cruz for his now infamous trip to Cancún, Che’s brief joke sparked intense reactions on social media. The star commented in a recent headline on Israel’s efforts to vaccinate against the coronavirus.
“Israel is reporting that it vaccinated half of its population,” he said. “And I will guess it was the Jewish half.”
The joke referred to the fact that Israel faced international criticism for largely excluding Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza from its highly successful vaccination campaign. The boarding was suspended for two days, while the government faced questions from a parliamentary committee before approving it. Israeli lawmakers, however, have previously suggested using vaccines as a bargaining chip for the release of prisoners held by militant Hamas rulers in the territory.
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It didn’t take long for Che to get a reaction to the joke, which many considered anti-Semitic.
“Michael Che’s blatantly anti-Semitic joke tonight?
@nbcsnl, ” wrote a user.
“Michael Che being openly anti-Semitic on SNL ???? HOW IS IT OK?
@nbcsnl, ” added another.
“I was totally shocked last night by Michael Che’s anti-Semitic dig. He has also offended the trans community in the recent past. There is a difference between the sharp comedy and what he is doing. It’s time for some sensitivity training.” another user wrote.
“Really @snl? That Michael Che joke about Israel is NOT cool,” other added.
After his name started to be a trend on Twitter, people also rushed to defend the comedian and praise him for trying to highlight the situation that was happening in Israel.
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“Thanks Michael Che! Don’t give in to the critics! #SNL,” a defender wrote.
“I take my hat off to Michael Che, whether deliberately or not, for raising an important issue that is not being asked about Covid Israel’s vaccination efforts!” wrote another.
“Leave Michael Che alone. If you are upset by this joke, wait until you learn about discrimination in Israel,” added another.
“Michael Che is a brilliant comic and opposition to apartheid should not be confused with anti-Semitism,” added another user.
Che had already been criticized for his jokes on “Weekend Update”. Most recently, he was accused of making offensive comments to the transgender community because of a November 2 joke about the end of Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people in President Biden’s armed forces.
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Michael Che is recovering from a joke he made on Weekend Update.
(Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images)
“President Biden signed an executive order to repeal Trump’s ban on transgenders serving in the army,” Che said during the January 30 episode. “It is good news, except that Biden is calling the policy: ‘don’t ask, don’t bend’, which is not good news.”
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In addition to Cruz and Israel, this week’s “Weekend Update” segment also received blows against Governor Andrew Cuomo, the Mars rover, the divorce of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West and more.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.