On June 10, stand-up comedian and actor Jerry Seinfeld attended Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in NYC.
Disclaimer: This article mentions the Israel-Palestine conflict, genocide, antisemitism, and more. Readers’ discretion is advised.
While leaving the arena, Seinfeld, 72, was approached by internet personality FinesseFave on his Kick livestream and said:
“What up, Seinfeld? What up? Can we get a ‘Free Palestine’?”
The Unfrosted star laughed it off and responded:
“It doesn’t exist.”
The internet has been having divided reactions amid the now-viral clip. YouTuber Sneako also weighed in and noted:
“Bro, you should’ve pressed that weirdo harder, bro. You should’ve pressed him more. Good clip, but why do you look like that at the end?… You went quiet. But that’s when you need to activate. You were winning, and then he leaves laughing…”
Sneako added that FinesseFave should have stopped Jerry Seinfeld and said “Your mother doesn’t exist” without conceding defeat or getting “stunned.” The YouTuber said while this was “good, W press,” he had to be “fair” and admit Seinfeld “kind of won that.”
Here’s what Jerry Seinfeld has said about the “Free Palestine” movement in the past
Jerry Seinfeld was born and raised in a Jewish immigrant family in Brooklyn, New York City. His father, Kalmen Seinfeld, was a sign painter from Hungary and served in the Second World War. His mother, Betty Hosni, was a Syrian-Turkish Jew from Aleppo.
In September 2025, Jerry Seinfeld made a surprise guest appearance at Duke University in North Carolina where he denounced the “Free Palestine” movement, described it as antisemitic, and compared it to the rhetoric of the Ku Klux Klan or the KKK, which is an American, Protestant-led, far-right white supremacist “hate” group. He said:
“Free Palestine is, to me, just… you’re free to say you don’t like Jews. Just say you don’t like Jews. By saying ‘Free Palestine’, you’re not admitting what you really think. So, it’s actually – compared to the Ku Klux Klan, I’m actually thinking the Klan is actually a little better here, because they can come right out and say, ‘We don’t like Blacks, we don’t like Jews.’ OK, that’s honest.”
Jerry Seinfeld was at the college event to introduce Israeli man Omer Shem Tov, who was taken hostage by Hamas from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, and was held hostage for over 500 days.
Elsewhere, the Seinfeld sitcom creator shared his experience of visiting Tel Aviv and meeting with the families of the hostages and called it an effort to “call attention” to their crisis.
A university spokesperson told The Guardian at the time that the comedian “requested his appearance not be announced beforehand, given Omer Shem Tov’s experiences were the focus of the event.” The individual added:
“Duke does not preview the remarks of speakers who are invited to campus, and the invitation of speakers to campus does not imply any endorsement of their remarks.”
During the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, Jerry Seinfeld has been a vocal supporter of Israel and the Jews. In fact, four months before the Duke University event, he was there on campus denouncing the “Free Palestine” movement and “defending” his privilege:
“A lot of you are thinking, ‘I can’t believe they invited this guy.’ Too late… I say, use your privilege. I grew up a Jewish boy from New York. That is a privilege if you want to be a comedian.”
His comments sparked outrage across the campus as well as online, with hundreds of students walking out of Jerry Seinfeld’s commencement address. In fact, many waved Palestinian flags and chanted “Free Palestine” as the Bee Movie maker continued his speech.
In February 2025, he attended the 50th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live and said, “I don’t care about Palestine,” when an influencer urged him to say “Free Palestine” while taking a selfie.
Two months later, Seinfeld told GQ in an interview:
“I don’t preach about [the war]. 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.”
Last June, Seinfeld was performing at a comedy club in Sydney, Australia, when an audience member accused him of being a “genocide supporter.” Jerry sarcastically responded:
“We have a genius, ladies and gentlemen. He’s solved the Middle East. He’s solved it! It’s the Jewish comedians, that’s who we have to get.”
Protestors gathered outside Paramount Theater in Aurora, Illinois, in January 2026, ahead of Jerry’s benefit performance.
On Wednesday, he attended the Knicks game with other celebrities on the courtside, including Taylor Swift, Adam Sandler, Spike Lee, Timothee Chalamet, Tracy Morgan, Larry David, and Jay-Z, among others.
Edited by Pallavi K