In a turbulent political climate that has been anything but favorable to Israel, the Tribeca Film Festival continues to stand out as a welcoming venue for Israeli cinema: No fewer than three Israeli films were invited to premiere at the glittering New York festival.
One of them, “The Wedding Jester” by Gidi Dar and Shuli Rand, screened Thursday and appeared to pass without protests by pro-Palestinian activists.
At least that is what organizers thought, until a filmed interview surfaced with one of the film’s stars, comedian Elon Gold, in which he made a tasteless joke aimed at a New York Times investigation into alleged sexual offenses against Palestinians in Israeli Prison Service detention facilities.
The clip went viral on social media, drew harsh reactions and prompted festival management to issue a statement condemning the remarks.
In an interview conducted by influencer Lizzy Savetsky on the red carpet before the screening, Gold said he was proud the film had been shot in Israel, then joked: “I was only raped by two Israeli dogs. I thought they only raped Palestinians.” The remark referred to the investigation by columnist Nicholas Kristof, which cited testimony about sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees by guards in Israeli detention facilities, including dog attacks.
Gold, an American comedian of Israeli descent who plays a successful wedding entertainer from the United States and the rival of the film’s protagonist, played by Rand, also opened the premiere by praising the fact that it was an Israeli production filmed in the Holy Land and had nevertheless reached Tribeca against all odds and political sentiment.
His remarks before the screening were warmly received by those in attendance, most of them Israelis and pro-Israel Jews. But the joke from the viral interview sparked harsh criticism over its apparent mockery of sexual violence, and Tribeca management was forced to respond.
“Sexual violence and human suffering should never be mocked or minimized,” Tribeca festival said in a statement. “The comments do not reflect the Tribeca Festival’s values, and we regret the hurt and offense they have caused."
According to festival management, it reached out to the film’s producers but has not yet received a response. The concern now is that the uproar over Gold’s comments will lead to protests against the other Israeli films set to premiere at the festival: “Noga” by brothers Juno and Benji Bergmann, which documents artist Noga Erez and her response to the events of October 7, will screen Monday night in Manhattan, while the drama “What Is to Come,” directed by Ruthy Pribar, will premiere Tuesday in the international competition.