Tribeca Festival Criticizes Dog Rape Joke During Film Premiere

      The Tribeca Festival has stated that it "unequivocally condemns" the jokes made by comedian Elon Gold and influencer Lizzy Savetsky regarding dogs being used for sexual assault.

      In a video shared online, Savetsky, who advocates for Israel, converses with Gold on the red carpet during the festival's premiere of the Israeli film The Wedding Entertainer (The Tale of Moishe Badhan). Gold, who is both an actor and a producer of the film, jokingly remarks about his excitement for the festival, saying, "I was only raped by two Palestinian dogs."

      Savetsky responds, "I thought they only raped Palestinians."

      Gold then replies, "No, I got also a dog."

      This joke, which prompted widespread outrage, seemingly alluded to a New York Times opinion piece that discussed allegations from Palestinians about the use of dogs for sexual abuse in Israeli prisons.

      The Tribeca Festival released a statement over the weekend, emphasizing that these jokes do not represent the festival’s values.

      "The Tribeca Festival acknowledges the concerns surrounding a clip that has been circulating on social media and unequivocally condemns the offensive and unacceptable comments made by Elon Gold and Lizzy Savetsky at the premiere of The Wedding Entertainer (The Tale of Moishe Badhan).

      "Sexual violence and human suffering should never be mocked or diminished," the festival added. "These remarks do not reflect the values of the Tribeca Festival, and we are sorry for the pain and offense they have caused. We have been unable to reach the filmmakers."

      Savetsky does not appear in the film; she was invited to the premiere by the film's team, rather than the festival itself.

      In an Instagram statement on Sunday, she remarked, "If you want to talk about actual rape, then let’s address the mass rape of Israeli women on October 7 and afterwards."

      The Times’ opinion piece, published last month, featured an interview with a Palestinian journalist claiming that dogs were employed to carry out sexual abuse in Israeli prisons. The Israeli prime minister has threatened to sue the Times for defamation over the article, while the Times responded by stating that the threat "aims to undermine independent reporting" and maintained that "any such legal claim would be without merit."

      The Wedding Entertainer, a U.S.-Israel production, centers on a disgraced Hasidic wedding comedian who must "secure one last gig to raise the $20,000 needed to marry off his daughter," according to Tribeca's synopsis.

      Main image: Lizzy Savetsky and Elon Gold at the Tribeca Festival premiere of The Wedding Entertainer.