Dave Chappelle Roasts DJ Khaled Over Palestine Silence
Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2025 11:36 pm
During a recent performance, comedian Dave Chappelle took aim at Palestinian-American artist DJ Khaled for his silence on the ongoing war in Gaza. The moment, at a sold-out Etihad Arena as part of Abu Dhabi Comedy Season, was sparked when an audience member shouted out Khaled’s name.
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Chappelle has been outspoken about the suffering of Palestinians since the Israel-Gaza war reignited in 2023. During a 2023 performance in Abu Dhabi, he called Israel’s actions “genocide,” receiving cheers from the crowd.
Chappelle used a January 2024 appearance on Saturday Night Live to urge the president, before the re-election, to show empathy toward Palestinians.
In his most recent UAE appearance, Chappelle didn’t directly address the conflict. He also stated he has to be more cautious than in the past, include his criticism of Trump.
“Now that I’m a big powerful voice in America, I’ve learned that I have to be careful,” he said. “I can get in some kind of trouble and they’ll try to extort me and put words in my mouth. So if that ever happens, we need a phrase—something I’d never say—so that if I say it, you know not to listen to anything I say after that. You ready? The phrase is: I stand with Israel.”