Yoni Kletzel is an Israeli comedian who recently flopped on stage after making jokes about Gaza and Palestinians, find out more about him and the incident below as his video goes viral
Kletzel’s actions ignited all kinds of debates regarding the boundaries of comedy, free speech, and the responsibilities of public figures.
American-Israeli comedian Yoni Kletzel mocks death of children in Gaza, Palestine during war with Israel
Awkward silence as Israeli comedian's Gaza jokes flop
'I actually don’t believe that Palestinian films should win any awards ever, because they only know how to play one role: Victim.' American-Israeli comedian Yoni Kletzel fails to make a crowd laugh about his ‘satirical’ stint… pic.twitter.com/adRAkuf52O
— Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) March 7, 2025
Kletzel’s actions, and the subsequent reactions serves as a stark reminder of the fine line that comedians walk on when interweaving humor with political and social issues.
Yoni Kletzel sparks controversy with recent Palestine and Gaza jokes
Just earlier this week of March 2025, Kletzel got himself embroiled in a significant controversy following a stand-up performance. During the show, he made some rude remarks about Palestinians and downplayed their struggles. He stated at one point:
“I actually don’t believe that Palestinian films should win any awards ever, because they only know how to play one role: Victim.’
This satirical stunt was met with silence and discomfort from the audience, highlighting the insensitivity of his comments. The Israeli-American comedian also joked about the unbearable suffering of Palestinians, who are enduring starvation. He also made crude jokes about babies and even demonstrated himself acting like one.
🚨 IDENTIFIED: Yoni Kletzel is a comedian in NYC. In these videos, he attacks one woman and calls another woman a “b*tch” pic.twitter.com/yyGPHGkplx
— Stop Arab Hate (@StopArabHate) September 5, 2024
Reactions and backlash
Following the incident, Yoni Kletzel has been facing immense backlash and reactions from netizens. Netizens have seemingly taken to various social media platforms with criticism for the comedian. Many have labeled his jokes as vile and crossing the line between comedy and outright depravity. Many short clips of his performance have also circulated online, with several people expressing their outrage over his insensitivity towards the suffering of Palestinians.
Interestingly, this is the first time that Kletzel has been embroiled in such an incident. Back in the past, Kletzel has engaged in all kinds of confrontational activism, including attending protests and posing inflammatory questions to participants. His approach has always polarized his audiences, as some appreciated his boldness while others simply condemned his tactics as inappropriate.
An Israeli-American “comedian” named Yoni Kletzel made jokes about starvation and “dead Palestinian babies.”
He thinks it’s funny, but this is one of the most disgusting things I have ever heard.pic.twitter.com/tenEl3hEyN
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) March 6, 2025
Yoni Kletzel bio
Yoni Kletzel is an Israeli-American comedian known for his provocative humor and active engagement in Jewish activism. He was born in the United States, and he is currently 27 years old. He moved to Israel at the age of five when his family made Aliyah from Teaneck, New Jersey, on the inaugural Nefesh B’Nefesh flight in 2002. Kletzel has built a career blending comedy with direct activism, often addressing complex socio-political issues through his performances.
Career
Yoni Kletzel is an established comedian who is renowned for his sharp and often controversial takes on current events. He mainly deals with topics related to Israel and Jewish identity, and his performances frequently intersect with activism. The 27-year-old uses his platform to voice out strong opinions on various socio-political issues. Aside from stand-up comedy, Kletzel is also involved in media appearances, protests, and direct confrontations with political opponents.
Yoni Kletzel has an Instagram account with the handle @yoneedapretzel, where he has over 29.9K followers and about 859 posts.