Israel made it onto the stage of one of America’s most prominent satire shows. During Saturday Night Live’s Halloween episode, comedian Michael Che addressed last week’s Israeli elections—but quickly turned his political commentary into a jab at the country.
During the “Weekend Update” segment, Che said: “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.”
The clip was posted on social media and drew sharp reactions from users unimpressed by the comedian’s humor. Among the responses: “Go to hell, you Nazi,” while another commenter claimed Che was portraying Israel as committing genocide when, in his view, Hamas is the side attempting genocide.
Another user also targeted the show itself, writing: “I remember when SNL was funny.” Other criticism was directed at show leadership, with one commenter attacking producer Lorne Michaels in addition to Che.
This isn’t the first time Israel has become fodder for jokes on the American show. SNL has previously addressed Operation Protective Edge and frequently included barbs aimed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This time, the Israeli elections provided an opportunity for a joke that brought the Gaza war back to center stage—and reignited the debate over the line between political satire and accusations against Israel.