“SNL” under fire for “anti-Semitic” joke about Israel

Critics go to Twitter to call Saturday Night Live Michael Che about a joke they claim is anti-Semitic.

“Israel reports that they have vaccinated half of their population. I assume that it is the Jewish half,” cracked the correspondent for Weekend Update on Sunday morning.

The vast majority of the Israeli population – 74 percent – is Jewish, according to the Jewish Virtual Library.

According to a January article in the Christian Science Monitor, vaccination rates among Israeli Arabs are much lower than those of Jews in the country, partly due to distrust of government in the Arab community.

On Sunday afternoon, the topic was trending, with many accusing Che and NBC of bias, while others came on its defense.

“Unsurprisingly they come from SNL as they have long had anti-Semitism.” Posted former MP Dov Hikind.

“But Michael Che or whoever wrote this ‘joke’ obviously doesn’t know either that Israel has Arab citizens who received the vaccine after the same qualifications as Jews!” Said the Brooklyn Democrat.

Another reviewer tweeted: “43% of the Arab citizens of Israel have been vaccinated – and that already large number would be even higher if the hateful propaganda spread by Michael Che didn’t exist.”

Others defended the fake news, claiming Che was making an anti-apartheid statement.

Palestinian leaders have accused Israel of racism in connection with the introduction of the vaccine.

“Leave Michael Che alone. Israel is not vaccinating the millions of Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, who are ultimately under Israeli control. As a Jewish woman with a conscience, I find this medical apartheid appalling, ”said one woman tweeted.

“Any criticism of Michael Che seems to ignore the fact that people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have received almost no vaccinations,” said another proponent wrote.

A week after SNL ignored the COVID-19 death scandal at Governor Cuomo’s nursing home, the variety show took off its gloves and tossed Pete Davidson as the Democratic scandal to start the episode on Saturday night.