Jerry Seinfeld faced a student protest at Duke University in May while receiving an honorary degree due to his support for Israel.
As he stood on stage, dozens of students walked out chanting, “Free, free Palestine.” Some in the audience jeered, while Seinfeld waited before responding, “Thank you. Oh my God, what a beautiful day.”
Instead of addressing the protest, he kept his speech lighthearted, blending humor and advice. “A lot of you are thinking, ‘I can’t believe they invited this guy.’ Too late,” he joked. He also spoke about privilege, saying, “I grew up a Jewish boy from New York. That is a privilege if you want to be a comedian.”
Duke University’s Vice President for Communications, Frank Tramble, later stated: “We respect the right of everyone at Duke to express their views peacefully, without preventing graduates and their families from celebrating their achievement.”
