The Tribeca Festival has strongly condemned remarks made during a red carpet interview after comments referencing Palestinians being raped by dogs sparked widespread backlash online.
The controversy emerged during the premiere of "The Wedding Entertainer (The Tale of Moishe Badhan)" in New York on June 7. During a red carpet interview, actor-comedian Elon Gold joked, "I was only raped by two Israeli dogs." Pro-Israel influencer Lizzy Savetsky responded, "I thought they only raped Palestinians." Gold then replied, "No, I got also a dog." The exchange quickly spread across social media, prompting outrage from activists, journalists and members of the public who accused the pair of trivialising sexual violence and mocking Palestinian suffering. In a statement issued shortly after the incident, Tribeca Festival described the remarks as "offensive and unacceptable" and stressed that sexual violence and human suffering should never be used as the subject of jokes. Critics argued that the comments crossed a line by making light of allegations tied to a conflict that has caused immense loss of life and suffering.
The incident reignited debate over the responsibilities of public figures at high-profile events and the limits of acceptable speech when discussing the Israel-Palestine conflict. As criticism mounted online, attention shifted away from the film premiere itself and toward the controversy surrounding the interview. While no further action was immediately announced, the remarks continued to draw condemnation across social media, with many calling the comments insensitive, dehumanising and deeply inappropriate.
