Michael Che's Israel Genocide Joke Sparks Outcry From Antisemitism Campaign

Michael Che made headlines on "Saturday Night Live." The "Weekend Update" co-host cracked a joke about genocide. He discussed voter turnout in Israel. The comment referenced voters across the political spectrum.

"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," Che said.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism reacted quickly. A spokesperson acknowledged the intent was humor. But they challenged the underlying premise.

"There's always a lot of latitude with comedy, and this joke is hardly an exception," the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "The problem is that it's playing on what has become a widespread but baseless belief that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza."

The organization argues that labeling Israel a genocidal state mirrors the crimes committed against Jews during the Holocaust. They view this rhetoric as a desperate attempt to assuage global guilt. It casts Jews as perpetrators of a grave crime they historically suffered.

"It has fueled abuse and violence against Jews worldwide, including terrorism and murder," the spokesperson added.

Curtis Houck, managing editor at NewsBusters, joined the criticism. He questioned whether viewers understood the definition of genocide.

"We're now at the point where it's a punchline to refer to Israel as a genocidal state," Houck told Fox News Digital. "SNL's ill-informed viewers are unlikely to know the actual meaning of the word, and that it's more applicable to how many Arabs view whether Israel should be allowed to exist."

Houck suggested a better angle. The segment could have highlighted Arab participation in the election. That would directly counter accusations of genocide.

"One could have framed it as a dig against the calls of genocide that a country held free and fair elections in which Arabs could vote and did, to point their parties won 19 seats in the Knesset, but that would have been too large of a bubble to burst for the far-left in America," Houck said. "Simply put, use of the word ‘genocide’ shouldn't be something to joke about."

Preliminary results show Israel's two Arab-led parties projected to secure a combined 19 seats.

Che delivered the remark with co-host Colin Jost. The segment also targeted President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. It mocked Republican messaging ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.

Che has faced criticism before. In February 2021, he suggested Israel’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign favored Jewish citizens.

"Israel is reporting that they’ve vaccinated half of their population. I’m going to guess it’s the Jewish half," Che said.

The Anti-Defamation League called that joke a line crossed. The American Jewish Committee sought a retraction and apology from NBC. They stated the suggestion misrepresented vaccine eligibility. Vaccines were available to Israeli citizens regardless of religion or ethnicity.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Israeli government and the White House. Neither provided an immediate response.