The congresswoman criticized the comedian’s viral remark after a Knicks playoff game
Rep. Ilhan Omar is sharply criticizing Jerry Seinfeld over a viral remark about Palestine, calling his words disgusting, disturbing and dangerous.
The Minnesota Democrat weighed in after the comedian was filmed dismissing a request to voice support for Palestinians as he left a New York Knicks game, an exchange that ricocheted across social media and drew strongly divided reactions.
What Seinfeld said
The moment unfolded Wednesday night outside Madison Square Garden, shortly after the Knicks completed a dramatic 107-106 comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. As Seinfeld, 72, walked out of the arena, a Kick streamer known online as FinesseFave approached him and asked him to say Free Palestine.
Seinfeld laughed and replied that it doesn’t exist before continuing on his way. The brief clip quickly spread online, racking up millions of views and becoming the dominant story of the night, overshadowing the Knicks’ historic rally.
Omar’s response
Caught up with on Capitol Hill by a TMZ reporter, Omar did not hold back. She argued that Seinfeld was using his enormous platform to diminish an entire group of people while refusing to acknowledge the devastation Palestinians have endured. Language that denies a people their history, she said, carries serious consequences, whether it comes from a celebrity or anyone else.
She also pointed to what she described as a painful irony, suggesting that someone whose own community lived through the Holocaust should understand the dangers of rhetoric that seeks to erase another group. The congresswoman, who was born in Somalia, directed her message squarely at the comedian.
A divided reaction
Online, the clip split viewers down familiar lines. Some praised Seinfeld for refusing to engage with the request, casting his quip as a refusal to be pressured into a political slogan. Others condemned the remark as offensive and dismissive, particularly given his well-documented stance on the conflict. The video was amplified by accounts on both sides of the debate, fueling an argument that quickly moved well beyond basketball.
Seinfeld’s outspoken support for Israel
The exchange was consistent with positions Seinfeld has taken publicly in recent years. He has become one of Hollywood’s most prominent supporters of Israel since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, traveling to Israel that December and meeting with families of hostages held in Gaza.
This was not the first time he brushed off a similar prompt. In February 2025, after an influencer said Free Palestine while taking a selfie with him outside Radio City Music Hall, he responded that he didn’t care about Palestine. Later that year, during an appearance at Duke University alongside freed Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov, he characterized the Free Palestine movement in starkly critical terms, framing it as a cover for hostility toward Jewish people.
For broader context, the question of Palestinian statehood remains internationally contested. A large majority of United Nations member states formally recognize Palestine, though the United States is not among them.
As of now, Seinfeld has not issued any further statement about the encounter, and the video has continued to circulate, keeping the debate alive among both his defenders and his critics.
Story credit: TMZ