The national director of the Jewish civil rights organization Anti-Defamation League took to Twitter to express his concerns about comedian Dave Chappelle’s opening monologue on last night’s Saturday Night Live. 

Chappelle, a controversial comedian who has been accused of insensitivity in the past regarding his remarks about transgender people, Jews, Black people and others, opened up a lot on SNL about recent issues involving rapper/entrepreneur Kanye West and basketball player Kyrie Irving.

“We shouldn’t expect @DaveChappelle to serve as society’s moral compass, but it’s disturbing to see @nbcsnl not just normalizing but popularizing #antisemitism,” said a tweet from the ADL’s Jonathan Greenblatt today.  Why are Jewish sensibilities denied or diminished at almost every turn?  Why does trauma cause us to applaud?’

At the start of his routine, Chappele unfolded a small piece of paper and read from it, saying: “I denounce anti-Semitism in all its forms.  And I stand with my friends in the Jewish community.’  And so, Kanye, you’re buying yourself some time.”

Then he got to the meat of the bit.  Chappelle noted that he had come to learn that there are “two words in the English language that you should never say in sequence: ‘The’ and ‘Jews’.”  

“I’ve been to Hollywood and — nobody’s mad at me — I’m just telling you what I saw,” he said, adding a signature pause.  “There are many Jews.  I like it very much.  But that means nothing!  You know what I mean?  Just because there are a lot of black people in Ferguson, Missouri, doesn’t mean we run the place.”

He added that “the delusion that Jews run show business” is “not crazy to think,” but “it’s crazy to say out loud.”  He also said of West, “It’s a big deal, he had broken the rules of show business.  You know, the rules of perception.  If they’re Black, then they’re a gang.  If they’re Italian, they’re a mob.  If they are Jews, it is a coincidence and you should never talk about it.’

Chappelle concluded his lengthy monologue by underscoring his point.

“It shouldn’t be so scary to talk about anything,” she said.  “It makes my job incredibly difficult.  And to be honest with you, I’m tired of talking to a crowd like this.  I love you to death and thank you for your support.  And I hope they don’t take anything from me… whoever they are.”

The Forward, a Jewish non-profit media outlet, said Twitter’s reaction to Chappelle’s routine was mixed.  He noted that The Jerusalem Post accused the comedian of “engaging in anti-Semitic tropes.”  Adam Feldman, theater critic for Time Out New York, tweeted: “That Dave Chappelle SNL monologue probably did more to normalize anti-Semitism than anything Kanye said.”  Writer Amalia Levari tweeted, disapprovingly: “So cool that SNL gave Chappelle the stage to deliver a TED talk about how good anti-Semitic dog whistles actually are.”

Rabbi Josh Yuter, a Jewish Twitter influencer, wrote: “As I understand Chappelle’s monologue, the bottom line is that there is a double standard about who can say what to whom.  If my Twitter feed is any indication, everyone agrees this is a problem, although there is rampant disagreement about the details.”

 Deadline has reached out to NBC for comment.

We shouldn’t expect @DaveChappelle to serve as society’s moral compass, but it’s disturbing to see @nbcsnl not just normalizing but popularizing #antisemitism. Why are Jewish sensibilities denied or diminished at almost every turn? Why does trauma cause us to applaud? — Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) November 13, 2022