Israel-Palestine

Jerry Seinfeld exited the annual State of the World Jewry address Sunday evening in NYC to anti-Israel protesters accusing him of supporting genocide ... but he didn't seem too fazed.

Check out the video ... a chorus of people chant, "Genocide supporter, you support genocide," upon seeing the comedian outside the Manhattan venue following the event that featured NYT columnist Bari Weiss, founder of The Free Press.

As you can see, Jerry's as cool as a cucumber, even in the face of all that rage. He flashes a smile and gives a little wave before casually hopping into the back of a black SUV surrounded by NYPD officers.

Even after Jerry was long gone, those protesters were still going strong, chanting, "F*** you, you support genocide."

It looks like the whole uproar against Jerry was due to his support for the event's main speaker, Weiss, who's known for her staunch support of Israel.

Weiss has caught some serious heat for criticizing Refaat Alareer, a Palestinian professor and poet before he tragically lost his life in an Israeli airstrike in December.

But, back to the rally outside the 92Y on NYC's Upper East Side ... it didn't exactly have staying power. The cops showed up and ended up arresting 2 protesters.

A man set himself on fire outside of the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C. ... apparently protesting the conflict in the Middle East.

Pictures of the protester have been circulating online in the middle of his act of self-immolation, and he was reportedly rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

D.C. fire officials reportedly told The Independent ... the man lit himself ablaze in the afternoon and was extinguished by United States Secret Service.

Video from outside of the embassy seems to show the aftermath of the protest ... with investigators searching the area.

The Metrolitan Police Department's bomb squad was also reportedly called to check out a suspicious vehicle in the area, but ultimately said it did not contain hazardous material.

The New York Times reported the man self-identified as an active duty Air Force soldier while other outlets claim he said, "I will be no longer complicit in genocide" before starting the fire.

This all seems like one huge protest against the conflict between Israel and Hamas currently raging in the Middle East, kicked off when Hamas agents attacked a music festival -- killing hundreds and taking more hostage on October 7, 2023.

Israel responded by launching an all out war against Hamas in Gaza, and tensions between the two sides -- and their supporters -- has been high in the aftermath.

Matisyahu está harto de la falta de preocupación por los rehenes en Gaza y lo comentó en una diatriba llena de improperios contra el comportamiento antisemita que se percibe.

Nos pusimos al día con el cantante y compositor el martes, cuando decidió trabajar en la calle por primera vez en 25 años, luego de que se cancelaran sus espectáculos.

Recuerden, hablamos con Matis la semana pasada después de que sus shows en Tucson, Arizona y Santa Fe, Nuevo México fueran cancelados debido a preocupaciones de seguridad de último minuto. Aunque Matisyahu estaba convencido de que ambas cancelaciones se debían a sus opiniones sobre la guerra de Gaza.

Claramente, Matis está cansado de depender de los locales y decidió llevar su música a la calle. Nos dice que solo quiere compartir su mensaje de "amor" con el público.

A pesar de decir que el amor es su propósito, Matisyahu admite que también está molesto con la situación en el Medio Oriente y sus sentimientos de amor rápidamente se manifestaron en una diatriba sobre la doble moral.

Matis se centró en los rehenes de Gaza y criticó a la gente que no parece preocuparse por ellos. Tiene una teoría sobre el porqué de esta situación y lo atribuye a la apatía al antisemitismo.

Matisyahu hizo una lista de otros momentos de la historia en los que el pueblo judío se enfrentó a dificultades y las superó, antes de lanzar el grito de guerra: "We will f***ing win" ("Ganaremos, carajo").

A continuación, interpretó la exitosa canción popularizada por Bob Marley, "No Woman, No Cry", acompañada de una guitarra eléctrica.

Matisyahu's fed up with the lack of concern for the hostages in Gaza ... going on an expletive-filled tirade against perceived antisemitic behavior.

We caught up with the singer-songwriter Tuesday when he decided to busk on the street for the first time in 25 years ... belting out songs in the cold on the heels of venues canceling his shows.

Remember ... we spoke to Matis last week after his shows in Tucson, Arizona and Santa Fe, New Mexico were canceled because of last-minute safety concerns. Matisyahu was convinced both cancellations were the result of his views on the war in Gaza.

Clearly, Matis is tired of relying on venues and decided to take his music to the street ... saying he just wants to share his message of "love" with audiences.

Despite saying love's his purpose, Matisyahu admits he's also upset with the situation in the Middle East -- and his feelings of love quickly manifested into a diatribe on double standards.

Matis focused on the hostages in Gaza and slammed people who don't seem super concerned about them. He's got a theory on why this is ... chalking up the apathy to antisemitism.

Matisyahu fired off a list of other moments in history where Jewish people faced hardship and overcame ... before firing off the rallying cry, "We will f***ing win."

He followed all this up with a performance of "No Woman, No Cry" -- the hit song popularized by Bob Marley -- belting out the song with electric guitar accompaniment.

Tiffany Haddish dice que está en Israel para observar con sus propios ojos lo que está pasando en Gaza y realmente se emocionó cuando se defendió de sus críticos más duros.

La actriz y comediante se unió a nosotros en "TMZ Live" el miércoles desde tierra santa, donde nos contó cómo su visita la está ilustrando sobre la guerra en el Medio Oriente y le está abriendo sus ojos más allá de lo que ha leído en las noticias o en Internet.

Tiffany dice que quería verlo todo por sí misma y experimentar lo que está pasando en terreno, pues no tiende a creer todo lo que ve o lee en Internet.

¿Qué ha aprendido Tiffany? Bueno, dice que las personas fueron sacadas de sus casas y tomadas rehenes durante el ataque de Hamás el 7 de octubre. Pero no solo eso, sino que también explica cómo fueron asesinados y secuestrados del festival de música ese día, señalando que aunque cientos han sido liberados, cientos más permanecen en cautiverio.

Tiffany, que aterrizó en Israel el martes, nos dice que también está allí para ver y sopesar el alcance de las represalias de Israel contra Hamás, las que han dejado más de 30.000 palestinos muertos.

Es una situación complicada, por supuesto, con mucha religión y política en juego, pero Tiffany dice que lo más importante para ella es el aspecto humano y que quiere la paz en ambos lados.

Aunque Tiffany confirmó que tiene ascendencia judía hace 5 años a través de pruebas de ADN, dice que no solo está preocupada por los judíos en Gaza, sino que también está preocupada por los palestinos. E insiste en que nadie que la critique debería perderse eso.

Tiffany dice que es importante recordar que hay seres humanos y familias al centro de todo esto y con ellos quiere conectar y a ellos quiere escuchar durante su visita.

También le preguntamos a Tiffany sobre algunas de las reacciones que está recibiendo en línea por el video que grabó desde el avión en su camino a Israel y ahí es cuando más se emociona intentando contener las lágrimas.

Tiffany se emocionó al defender sus bromas sobre encontrar un marido allí, algo con lo que bromeó durante el IG Live que hizo a principios de esta semana, y dice que tiene el coraje de hacer algo que muchas mujeres solteras no harían por su cuenta.

Enfatiza especialmente en esto último: Nos dice que está sola en el mundo y es desgarrador. Es una conversación interesante y Tiff explica por qué está siguiendo sus instintos.

Tiffany Haddish says she's in Israel to observe for herself what's going on in Gaza -- and she actually got choked up in defending herself against her harshest critics.

The actress/comedian joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday all the way from the holy land ... telling us how her visit is already educating her on the war in the Middle East -- and opening her eyes beyond what she's read in the news or seen online.

Tiffany says she wanted to take it all in for herself and experience what's happening on the ground ... because she doesn't tend to believe everything she sees/reads on the internet.

So what has Tiffany learned? Well, she says folks were dragged from their homes and taken hostage during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack -- not just that, but she explains how people were killed and kidnapped at a music festival that day too ... noting that while hundreds of hostages have been released since October, hundreds more still remain in captivity.

Tiffany -- who landed Tuesday in Israel -- tells us she's also there to see and weigh the scope of Israel's retaliation against Hamas ... which has left over 30,000 Palestinians dead.

It's a complicated situation, of course, with lots of religion and politics involved ... but Tiffany says the biggest thing to her is the human aspect -- and she wants peace on both sides.

While Tiffany confirmed she has Jewish ancestry 5 years ago via DNA testing, she tells us she's not only concerned about Jewish people in Gaza ... she's also worried about the Palestinians. And she insists ... that shouldn't be lost on anyone who's critical of her.

Tiffany says it's important to remember there are human beings and families at the center of all of this ... and that's who she wants to connect with -- and hear from -- on her visit.

We also asked Tiffany about some of the backlash she's getting for a video she recorded from the plane on her way to Israel -- and that's where you can hear her fighting back tears.

Tiffany got emotional defending her jokes about finding a husband over there -- something she quipped about on IG Live as she was flying over earlier this week -- and says she's got the courage to do something lots of single women wouldn't do on their own.

Emphasis on that last part ... Tiffany tells us she's all alone in this world, and it's heartbreaking. It's an interesting convo ... and Tiff tells us why she's following her instincts.

On this episode of The TMZ podcast ...

Tiffany Haddish is being slammed by folks online after she joked about 'finding a man' on her trip to Israel.

Travis Kelce was spotted getting some rest & relaxation in Las Vegas, hanging with friends and hitting the golf course at the Wynn Golf & Country Club!

One of the suspects in the Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting admitted to firing off the first shots ... before allegedly saying he "shouldn't have done that."

Tom Sandoval angered the internet after he compared Scandoval to the O.J. Simpson case and the murder of George Floyd. He then clarified his remarks and added that he is "incredibly sorry and embarrassed." Yikes.

Plus, a couple from '90 Day Fiance' had their fundraiser halted after fans started to doubt a cancer diagnosis.

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Tiffany Haddish está sufriendo algunas turbulencias en redes sociales, luego de que sus fans se irritaran con algunas bromas que hizo mientras tomaba un vuelo en dirección a Israel, aunque sabemos que ella ha sido muy sincera al respecto.

La actriz y comediante hizo un Instagram en vivo el martes para decirle a los fans que iba a hacer un viaje educativo a tierra santa, antes de lanzar una serie de bromas desenfadadas sobre todo lo que estaba planeando hacer, incluyendo cosas que ver con sus propios ojos.

Tiffany dijo que se dirigía a la zona devastada por la guerra para conocer a su "futuro hombre" mientras bebía un vaso de "zumo de naranja" y aclaraba que no era una mimosa. Esto, a raíz de su segundo arresto por conducir ebria. Cuento corto, algunos sintieron que estaba siendo un poco demasiado irreverente sobre el tema.

Durante el IG Live, Tiffany también cantó una canción que inventó, que decía "En camino a Tel Aviv, luego a Jerusalén. Luego iré al Mar Muerto a pasarlo bien. Voy a divertirme, sí. Va a ser genial. Luego voy a aprender sobre política, ay".

Aunque lo dejó fuera de su jingle, Haddish le dijo a sus seguidores que también iba a ir a Gaza antes de preguntar: "¿No está Gaza en Israel? ¿No está todo en el mismo continente, el mismo trozo de tierra rodeado de agua?".

Desde entonces ha aterrizado en Israel, por cierto, pero no le dijo nada a los fotógrafos que la esperaban en el aeropuerto.

Por supuesto, las disputas sobre esa tierra son un impulso importante detrás de la guerra en la región y los usuarios en las redes no estaban contentos con el bit de Tiffany, y la calificaron de sionista y alegaron que su viaje avalaba el "genocidio palestino".

Es importante tener en cuenta que Tiffany descubrió que tenía ascendencia judía hace apenas unos años y, de acuerdo con una entrevista de 2022 a TIME, asiste regularmente a las cenas de Shabat de los viernes.

También ha sido una ávida defensora de las causas judías a lo largo de los años: recientemente encabezó un espectáculo de recaudación de fondos en favor de esa causa en Laugh Factory y pidió la liberación de los rehenes israelíes tomados por Hamás en octubre. Así que, sí... Tiffany ha sido una apasionada por sus raíces judías y ha estado hablando de querer ir a Israel desde hace mucho tiempo.

Hay una entidad que está muy entusiasmada de que ella esté en camino al país: el gobierno israelí anunció su inminente llegada a través de X y le preguntó si podían "lanzarle un Bat Mitzvah en el Muro de los Lamentos"? No está claro si el estado sabe que ella ya tuvo un Bat Mitzvah en 2019, pero están extendiendo una invitación de todos modos.

Tiffany Haddish's hitting some turbulence on social media -- upsetting fans with jokes she cracked while heading to Israel ... although, we know she's been very sincere about this.

The actress/comedian took to Instagram Live Tuesday to tell fans she was headed to the holy land for an educational trip ... before launching into a series of light-hearted jokes about everything she was planning to do there, including seeing stuff with her own eyes.

TH said she was heading to the war-torn area to meet her "future man" while sipping on a glass of "orange juice" -- adding it wasn't a mimosa in the aftermath of her second DUI arrest. Long story short ... some feel she was being a bit too irreverent about the issue.

During this IG Live session, TH also sang a song she made up, belting out, "On my way to Tel Aviv, then to Jerusalem. Then I’m going to the Dead Sea and goin’ get me some. Gonna have some fun, yeah. It’s gonna be great. Then I’m gonna learn about the politics, ay."

Even though she left it out of her jingle, Haddish told her followers she was going to Gaza as well before asking ... "Isn't Gaza in Israel? Ain't it all on the same continent, the same piece of land surrounded by water?"

She's since landed in Israel, BTW ... but she didn't say anything to photogs waiting for her in the airport.

Of course, disputes over that land are a major impetus behind the region's destructive war ... and people online weren't pleased with Tiffany's bit referring to her as a Zionist and claiming her trip cosigns on the "Palestinian genocide."

FWIW ... Tiffany confirmed she had Jewish ancestry 5 years ago via DNA test and -- according to a 2022 TIME interview -- she regularly attends Friday Shabbat dinners.

She's been an avid supporter of Jewish causes over the years too -- most recently headlining a Jewish fundraiser show at the Laugh Factory and calling for the release of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas back in October. So, yes ... Tiffany has been passionate about her Jewish roots -- and she's been talking about wanting to go to Israel for a long while now.

There is one entity that's stoked she's on her way to the country ... the Israeli government announced her imminent arrival via X and asked if they could "throw you a Bat Mitzvah at the Western Wall?" Unclear if the state knows she already had a Bat Mitzvah in 2019, but they're extending an invite anyway.

Una estatua de Amy Winehouse en Londres ha sido pintarrajeada. Unos manifestantes han cubierto el collar con la estrella de David de la estatua con una bandera palestina, lo que ha causado indignación entre algunos, pero no necesariamente en su propia familia.

Manifestantes pro-Palestina mancillaron la estatua de la difunta cantante el fin de semana durante una protesta masiva en Londres, donde alguien colocó una pegatina de la bandera palestina en la imagen de Amy.

En la estatua aparece Amy con un collar de la estrella de David, símbolo de la identidad judía y del judaísmo, y la pegatina de la bandera de Palestina tapó el colgante. Amy era británica y judía.

Naturalmente, Internet está indignado, con la gente llamando al vandalismo vergonzoso, repugnante y antisemita.

Mitch Winehouse -el padre de Amy y administrador de su patrimonio- sin embargo, está dando una respuesta más comedida, diciendole a TMZ: "No es muy agradable, pero era solo una pegatina".

La estatua de bronce de Amy en el mercado londinense de Camden fue inaugurada en 2014, un par de años después de su muerte en 2011, y los fans suelen dejar flores para presentar sus respetos.

An Amy Winehouse statue in London has been defaced -- with protestors covering up the statue's Star of David necklace with a Palestinian flag, causing outrage among some ... but not necessarily in her own family.

Pro-Palestine demonstrators besmirched the late singer's statue over the weekend during a massive protest in London ... with someone placing a sticker of the Palestinian flag on Amy's likeness.

The statue features Amy wearing a Star of David necklace, a symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism, and the Palestine flag sticker covered up the pendant. Amy was British and Jewish.

Naturally, the internet is outraged ... with folks calling the vandalism disgraceful, revolting and antisemitic.

Mitch Winehouse -- Amy's dad and the administrator of her estate -- however is taking a more measured response, telling TMZ ... "It's not very nice but it was just a sticker."

Amy's bronze statue in London's Camden Market was unveiled in 2014, a couple years after her 2011 death, and fans often leave flowers to pay their respects.

Dos de los últimos conciertos de Matisyahu fueron cancelados y él está teorizando que las cancelaciones podrían haber sido causadas por algunos trabajadores que hacen declaraciones políticas contra Israel.

El cantante y compositor se unió a nosotros en "TMZ Live" el jueves, diciéndonos que su espectáculo con entradas agotadas en Nuevo México fue cancelado apenas unas horas antes de que el telón estuviera listo para subir, algo de lo que se enteró a última hora.

Como Matisyahu -un partidario muy vocal de la causa israelí en Gaza- lo explicó, un fan se acercó a él después de que ya había realizado una prueba de sonido en el Meow Wolf, y dijo que había recibido un correo electrónico diciendo que el concierto fue cancelado debido a las amenazas de seguridad.

Cuando su equipo se dirigió a los organizadores del evento, Matisyahu dice que le dijeron que los trabajadores tenían miedo de ir a trabajar debido a posibles protestas fuera del edificio y que no tendrían tiempo de contratar a más personal para el evento.

La protesta no exactamente multitudinaria, solo alrededor de cinco personasestaban ahí para expresar su descontento, de acuerdo con Matis. Así que en realidad no fue una amenaza.

No es el único espectáculo que ha sido cancelado, Matisyahu dice que su show de esta noche en Tucson Arizona tampoco se llevará a cabo porque supuestamente los emp´leados están cabreados.

Matisyahu dice que los trabajadores podrían haberse dado cuenta de que el evento tendría que ser cancelado si decidían no llegar a trabajar, añadiendo mensajes en las redes sociales de algunos de los empleados de Nuevo México que dejaron claro que estaban en contra de Israel.

Matisyahu insiste en que no está empujando su política en sus espectáculos, admitiendo que a veces hace declaraciones en contra de Hamás, pero mantiene la división política fuera de sus actuaciones en su mayor parte.

Si los boicoteadores tienen la esperanza de desalentar a Matisyahu, no está funcionando, y dicie que está dispuesto a tocar en cualquier lugar dispuesto a acogerlo a él y a su grupo. Incluso mencionó a su primo, que estudia en Tucson, y dijo que daría un concierto en una fraternidad si estaban interesados.

Por supuesto, las tensiones han sido especialmente altas entre los seguidores israelíes y palestinos desde que un ataque sorpresa de Hamás en un festival de música el 7 de octubre desató una guerra total en la región.

Two of Matisyahu's recent concerts got canceled ... and he's theorizing the cancelations might've been caused by some workers making a political statement against Israel.

The singer-songwriter joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday ... telling us his sold-out show in New Mexico was canceled just hours before the curtain was set to go up -- something he learned about very last minute.

As Matisyahu -- a very vocal supporter of the Israeli cause in Gaza -- explained it ... a fan approached him after he'd already performed a sound check in the Meow Wolf venue and said they had received an email saying the concert was called off because of security threats.

When his team approached the event organizers about it, Matisyahu says they told him workers were afraid to come to work because of possible protests outside the building and that they wouldn't have time to hire more staffers for the event.

BTW ... the protest didn't exactly take off -- with just about five people showing up, apparently, to voice their displeasure according to Matis. So, hardly a threat, really.

It's not the only show that's been canceled, as it turns out ... Matisyahu says his show tonight in Tucson, Arizona, is also not happening because employees there are also allegedly calling out.

The possible reasoning behind this ... Matisyahu says he thinks workers might've realized the event would have to be called off if they decided not to arrive for work -- adding social media posts of some of the New Mexico staff made it clear they stood against Israel.

Matisyahu insists he's not pushing his politics at his shows ... admitting he sometimes makes statements against Hamas but keeps political division out of his performances for the most part.

If boycotters are hoping to discourage Matisyahu ... it's not working so far, with him saying he's willing to play at any venue willing to host him and his group. He even mentioned his cousin who goes to school in Tucson -- and said he'd put on a show at a frat house if they're interested!

Of course, tensions have been especially high between Israeli and Palestinian supporters since a surprise attack by Hamas on a music festival on October 7 sparked a full-on war in the region.

Selma Blair is apologizing for an Islamophobic comment she made on social media ... and she's promising to do better.

Here's the deal ... Selma went viral last week and started catching tons of flak after commenting on an Instagram post about Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush voting against a measure banning Hamas terrorists from immigrating to the U.S.

In her since-deleted comment, Selma wrote ... "Deport all these terrorist supporting goons. Islam has destroyed Muslim countries and then they come here and destroy minds. They know they are liars. Twisted justifications. May they meet their fate."

Selma took a ton of heat from folks who said she was a raging, Islamophobic bigot.

In an apology shared Tuesday on IG, Selma says ... "I mistakenly and inadvertently conflated Muslims with Radical Islamists and fundamentalists, a terrible err in my words, and resulted in hurting countless people I never meant to, and I deeply regret this."

Selma says she deleted her comment after she realized she was amplifying hate and misinformation ... and says she now understands why she upset the Muslim community.

President Biden's seemingly trying to win over a key voting block in Michigan ... and a war going on a world away is playing a huge role, including some new policies he's enforcing.

POTUS is making a few stops in Michigan this week -- an important swing state in the 2024 presidential election -- and it looks like he's trying to win over Arab American and Muslim voters who are outraged over the war between Israel and Palestine.

Coincidentally or not, Biden's Michigan trip comes the same time he signed an executive order allowing the United States to sanction Israeli settlers, and potentially Israeli government officials, who are involved in violent attacks against Palestinians in Gaza.

Biden's been under fire in Michigan for his support for Israel ... and there's a huge Arab American population in the state, and they're threatening to pull the support at the ballot box.

There were even protests outside Biden's campaign stops in Michigan ... but it doesn't look like anything was disrupted, although the scenes were tense.

On its face, it looks like Biden might've timed the signing of this EO so he had something tangible to show voters in Michigan who support Palestine ... so he doesn't lose their vote to a third party, or worse, Donald Trump. That's how some are interpreting it, anyway.

At the same time, Biden's said to be running thin on patience with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ... so it seems the winds may be changing when it comes to Gaza.

Biden really needs Michigan to stave off Trump ... and it looks like the political posturing is in full swing as we march toward November.

Brett Gelman doesn't see anything in Netflix costar Noah Schnapp's views on Israel that warrants an apology ... and he's not afraid to speak his mind about what's going on in Gaza.

We got the "Stranger Things" star at LAX and our photog asked him about Noah sharing a video restating his position on the Israel-Hamas War.

Brett says he actually liked the viral photos of Noah with stickers reading "Zionism is sexy" and agreed with Noah calling out Hamas as a terrorist organization.

BG goes even further ... telling us anyone who is not pro-Israel is consciously or subconsciously being antisemitic.

To be clear, Brett says he's not blindly for everything that's going on in Israel, acknowledging there are some issues just as there are in every country and telling us he's not a fan of Benjamin Netanyahu ... but Brett says he supports Israel and the Israeli people.

Brett says Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas attacks ... he says he's been over to Israel recently and there are still being rockets launched by Hamas, who he also accuses of using civilians as human shields.

Noah's message was about unity, hope and peace ... and Brett says he's staunchly against the death of innocent Palestinians, but wonders why those deaths are being blamed on Israel and not Hamas.

It's rare to see a celebrity being so open about the Middle East these days ... but Brett's not shying away.