Comedian at the Edinburgh Festival targets Israeli couple, mocks them as they exit

American comedian Reginald D. Hunter faced backlash for his anti-Israel remarks during a stand-up performance in Edinburgh, UK, which led to a heated exchange with an Israeli couple in the front row, The Telegraph reported.

During the Sunday night show, Hunter drew a controversial comparison between a scene from a documentary about an abusive wife and Israel’s self-defense actions in Gaza. He remarked, "My God, it’s like being married to Israel," prompting mixed reactions from the audience.

When the Israeli couple in the front row expressed their displeasure, saying, "Not funny," the situation escalated. According to Cavendish, audience members responded with expletives, calling the couple "genocidal maniacs," telling them to leave, and chanting phrases like "free Palestine."

During the show, Hunter directed his ire towards the Israeli couple, saying, “I’ve been waiting for you all summer, where the f--- have you been? You can say it’s not funny to you, but if you say it to a room full of people who laughed, you look foolish.”

As the woman tried to address the audience’s reaction, Hunter remarked, “Look at you making everyone love Israel even more.”

Following the couple’s departure, which was slowed by the husband’s disability, Hunter laughed and commented to the remaining audience, “That tells me that I still got voltage.”