Amy Schumer defends Israeli comedian Guy Hochman after US show canceled

American Jewish comedian and actress Amy Schumer has stepped in to defend Israeli performer Guy Hochman after the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills canceled his show.

The dispute arose when the venue demanded that Hochman denounce the Israeli “genocide in Gaza” as a precondition for performing. Hochman refused, calling the theater’s demand coercive and undemocratic. Schumer criticized the Beverly Hills theatre in an Instagram post.

“The demand by a Beverly Hills theater that an Israeli comedian publicly condemn his own country was a complete mistake,” Schumer wrote. 

“They canceled his show, admitted they had no evidence, and only reversed course after public backlash. No artist should have to sign a coerced apology just to perform. Last time I checked, we are not run by a dictatorship, nor do we force performers to criticize their own country to be allowed on stage,” Schumer argued.

The organizers of the event claimed that Hochman’s performance was canceled after the venue received complaints from individuals who opposed the appearance of the Israeli comedian. This reportedly pushed the venue to demand that Hochman condemn the “genocide” in Gaza, which he refused.

Israel has strongly rejected the widespread accusation of genocide in Gaza.

Israeli government and military officials have repeatedly stressed that the IDF seeks to minimize civilian casualties while fighting against Hamas terrorists who deliberately use Gazan civilians as human shields, a war crime under international law. Major Western nations like the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom have all rejected the accusation of “genocide” against Israel in Gaza. 

Members of the local Jewish community in Beverly Hills protested against the cancellation of Hochman’s performance. Michael S. Hall, the head of the organization that manages the theatre, eventually issued a public apology. 

“I understand that my decision hurt and upset many people, and I take responsibility for that,” Hall stated, adding that the theatre had received threats linked to the Israeli comedian’s performance. 

Schumer has been vocal in her support for Israel following the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of 251 people from southern Israel.

In November 2023, merely a month after the Hamas atrocities, Schumer joined other Jewish celebrities like Sacha Baron Cohen and Debra Messing in condemning TikTok for enabling the massive spread of online antisemitism.

“What is happening at TikTok is it is creating the biggest antisemitic movement since the Nazis,” Cohen assessed at the time.

Hochman is no stranger to controversy. Earlier this month, he was detained at Toronto’s airport after the anti-Israel Hind Rajab Foundation filed an official complaint against him due to his social media support for Israeli soldiers defending Israel. 

In May 2024, Hochman was detained at the Eurovision competition in the Swedish city of Malmo after waiving the national flag of Israel with the Star of David. He was verbally assaulted by anti-Israel protesters. Instead of detaining the anti-Israel protesters, Swedish police detained Hochman and informed him that it was not appropriate to display an Israeli flag or be Jewish in the location. Malmo, which has a large proportion of residents hailing from the Middle East, has in recent years struggled with growing antisemitism.