‘I support Israel’: Comedian’s opening line prompts audience walkout in Chicago

A viral video showing audience members leaving a Chicago comedy show after a comedian expressed support for Israel has drawn attention online, with the incident being portrayed as a sign of shifting public attitudes toward Israel.

American comedian and rabbi Menachem Silverstein was performing in Chicago when he opened his set by declaring his support for the Israeli regime, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

“My name is Menachem, and I support Israel,” Silverstein said at the beginning of his performance.

Video circulating on social media shows several audience members standing up and walking toward the exits shortly after the statement, while Silverstein remains on stage.

The footage quickly went viral, with the audience’s reaction becoming the main focus of discussion rather than the comedian’s performance. Al Jazeera described the incident as an “embarrassing moment” for Silverstein, while social media users interpreted the walkout as a rejection of his stance on Israel.

Some users jokingly described the declaration as the “first joke” of the performance, while others said the decision to leave without confrontation was more effective than heckling the comedian from inside the venue.

The incident has attracted wider attention amid growing criticism of the Israeli regime, particularly following the devastating war on Gaza.

The changing public mood has also been reflected in US polling. Gallup reported in February that, for the first time since it began measuring Americans’ sympathies toward Israelis and Palestinians in 2001, Americans were more sympathetic toward Palestinians than Israelis.

Forty-one percent said they sympathized more with Palestinians, compared with 36 percent who said the same about Israelis. Among Americans aged 18 to 34, only 23 percent expressed greater sympathy for Israelis.

A subsequent Pew Research Center survey found that unfavorable views of the Israeli government had risen to 62 percent in 2026, while favorable views stood at 32 percent. Among Americans under 30, 58 percent viewed Palestinians favorably, compared with 32 percent who viewed Israelis favorably.

The incident involving Silverstein has consequently been circulated online as another indication of the increasingly contentious public debate over Israel and Palestine in the United States.

Israeli strike kills two in Gaza as hospitals face energy shortages

An Israeli strike has killed two more people in the Gaza Strip as hospitals across the coastal territory struggle with a severe energy shortage.

The Israeli regime launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, intending to drive Palestinians from their land. According to Gaza authorities, the assault has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and injured more than 174,000, while causing widespread destruction across the besieged territory.

At least 1,300 Palestinians have also been killed since the US-backed October 2025 ceasefire took effect. 

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