During the "Weekend Update" segment of NBC's "Saturday Night Live," co-host Michael Che made a joke referencing voter turnout in Israel's elections, linking it to genocide.
"This week, a record number of people voted in Israel’s election, which is great to see regardless of if you’re on the right side, or the left side, or the genocide," Che said.
The comment drew criticism from the Campaign Against Antisemitism, a spokesperson for which acknowledged the remark was intended as a joke but challenged its premise. The spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the joke plays on a "baseless belief that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza." The organization added that such allegations portray Jews as perpetrators of the same crime committed against them during the Holocaust and have fueled anti-Jewish violence worldwide.
Curtis Houck, managing editor of NewsBusters, also criticized the joke, questioning whether viewers understood the term "genocide." Houck suggested that the segment could have instead highlighted Arab participation in Israel's election, noting that preliminary results indicated Arab-led parties were projected to secure a combined 19 seats in the Knesset.
Che's remark came during a segment that also included jokes about political figures. This is not the first time Che has faced criticism for jokes related to Israel. In February 2021, he suggested that Israel’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign favored Jewish citizens, a claim disputed by the American Jewish Committee, which stated that vaccines were available to all Israeli citizens regardless of religion or ethnicity.