The Tribeca Film Festival has condemned comedian Elon Gold and blogger Lizzie Sawetsky's outrageous jokes on the red carpet about the rape of Palestinians.
In a video that sparked widespread outrage on social media, Gold told Savetsky on the red carpet in Manhattan on Thursday that Gidi Dar's film «"Wedding Artist", in which he stars, was filmed in Israel.
He told Savetsky: "This is a really big deal, and for a film shot in Israel, it's pretty damn cool. I was raped by just two Israeli dogs.".
Savetsky replied, "I thought they only raped Palestinians." Gold countered, "No, I also got a dog.".
In a statement released in response to the backlash, the organization said: "The Tribeca Film Festival is aware of the concerns raised regarding the video circulating on social media and unequivocally condemns the offensive and inappropriate remarks made by Elon Gold and Lizzie Sawetsky at the film premiere. «The Wedding Artist (The Story of Moishe Badkhan) »».
«"Sexual violence and human suffering should never be ridiculed or trivialized," the festival organizers continued. "These comments do not reflect the values of the Tribeca Film Festival, and we regret any pain and offense caused. We have been unable to contact the filmmakers.".
Neither Gold nor Savetsky responded to the publication's inquiries. The Independent about comments.
According to data Deadline , Savetsky wasn't accredited to the Tribeca Film Festival, but the film's crew invited him to light the red carpet.
The comedian and blogger, both openly pro-Israel, were referring to an article in New York Times on May 11, which alleged that Israeli soldiers and prison guards had widely used sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners.
Veteran journalist Nicholas Kristof's article, "Silence in Response to Palestinian Rape," featured testimonies from Palestinians, including allegations of bestiality, rape, and sexual assault by Israeli soldiers.
Lizzy Savetsky and Elon Gold's jokes about Palestinian rape were condemned by the Tribeca Film Festival (Instagram/Lizzy Savetsky).
After the article raised doubts about its veracity, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to sue NYT and Christophe for libel. NYT defended the article, saying that Christophe had verified his information with several credible sources.
In a statement on Instagram published after the video of her and Gold began circulating, Savetsky responded to the newspaper NYT , accusing the publication of spreading false information about Jewish people after a reporter asked her to comment on her comments on the red carpet.
Following the Hamas terror attacks on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages in Israel, human rights organizations reported that Israeli soldiers, security guards, and medical personnel systematically committed sexual violence and torture against Palestinians during the ongoing war in Gaza. The death toll from Israel's war in Gaza has exceeded 75,000.
Rape Crisis provides support to survivors of rape and sexual violence. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk . If you are in the US, you can call Rainn at 800-656-HOPE (4673).