Jewish Comedian Humorously Handles “Free Palestine!” Heckler
A heckler shouted, “Free Palestine!” at Sam Morril’s stand-up comedy show in Omaha, Nebraska, on Monday. Morril, an American Jewish comedian, gave the heckler an opportunity to speak from her seat. She said she was an artist against apartheid, not only accusing Israel of apartheid but also equating his Jewish heritage with the false claim of apartheid in Israel. The heckler said she was “trying to make a public statement,” to which Morril responded, “Oh, a public statement? At the Omaha Funny Bone?” pointing out the minimal spotlight she was stealing. He offered to buy the heckler a drink, but when he asked what she wanted to drink, she answered, “Nothing. I thirst for justice.” Later in the exchange he said, “Hold on one sec, I gotta take a sip of some justice here.” Morril has appeared on Conan, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, and David Letterman’s Netflix special That’s My Time. The heckler was largely ridiculed on social media for her ill-timed protest.
This bizarre outburst is an example of how little people are actually educated about Israel—even among those who are obsessed with demonizing the nation. Comedians are no strangers to hecklers, but venting misplaced anger with the only Jewish nation on a Jewish comedian in the middle of his performance is a childish and ineffective way to gain traction for her cause. This heckler would benefit from a look at the reality in Israel, of Jews and Arabs living and working side by side fairly, all while facing the constant threat of attack from its neighboring countries. Then she might see how far off base her claims truly are, and hopefully she won’t embarrass herself this way again at another Jewish person’s performance.
