Actor-comedian Elon Gold and pro-Israel influencer Lizzy Savetsky are facing backlash after making an \u201coffensive\u201d joke in an interview on the red carpet for \u201cThe Wedding Entertainer (The Tale of Moishe Badhan)\u201d at the Tribeca Festival.<\/p>\n
In the interview, Gold said the film was shot in Israel. \u201cI was only raped by two Israeli dogs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought they only rape Palestinians,\u201d Savetsky replied, to which he said: \u201cNo, I got also a dog.\u201d<\/p>\n
The clip spread widely on social media and drew outrage. In a statement posted on social media, the Tribeca Festival called the remarks \u201coffensive and unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSexual violence and human suffering should never be mocked or minimized,\u201d the statement said. \u201cThe comments do not reflect the Tribeca Festival\u2019s values, and we regret the hurt and offense they have caused.\u201d<\/p>\n
The statement said the festival had not been able to reach the filmmakers. A Tribeca spokesperson said Savetsky was not in the film and was not credentialed by the festival, but was invited to the premiere by the film team.<\/p>\n
Gold\u2019s manager did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a video statement posted to social media, Savetsky said the remarks were in reference to a \u201cridiculous claim\u201d in the New York Times<\/a> that Israeli officials trained dogs to rape Palestinians.<\/p>\n The paper \u201cpublished this piece with zero evidence. And we\u2019re all just supposed to sit here with a straight face and take it like it is some sort of truth.\u201d<\/p>\n She added that the film festival is a \u201cforum that is meant to spark dialogue\u201d and that Jewish comedians throughout history have used humor as a way to cope with anti-Semitism. <\/p>\n