It has lastly occurred: virtually three weeks after I first uncovered John Cleese’s antisemitic diatribes on X and requested “Why is he nonetheless planning to carry out in Israel?” – his exhibits have been cancelled.
Besides the Ministry of Foolish Excuses Israeli manufacturing firm behind the scheduled performances is claiming BDS-holes have been behind the cancellation.
British comic and actor John Cleese has canceled his scheduled performances in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, below strain from anti-Israeli activists, although the “Monty Python” star has additionally just lately used social media to activate Israel.
The Israeli manufacturing firm behind the deliberate performances mentioned that the the cancellation was resulting from threats from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions motion in opposition to Israel.
“We remorse that John Cleese gave in to threats from the BDS organizations and that’s after all of the tickets for his exhibits have been bought out way back,” the corporate mentioned in an announcement.
For the final a number of days, the comic has been reposting anti-Israel feedback and media on his X account, together with false claims, and movies of actor Mandy Patinkin raging in opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and actor Mark Ruffalo railing in opposition to his Jewish associates. Cleese was beforehand not recognized to have a stance notably crucial of Israel, and carried out there just a few years in the past.
No, Occasions of Israel. He has been posting greater than merely “anti-Israel feedback and media” for greater than “the final a number of days.” He has been posting outright antisemitism for weeks.
Since I first posted about him and spoke about it on JNS TV, I’ve continued to badger him.
Hey @JohnCleese, please make us perceive why you continue to plan on performing in a rustic you discover so evil. Is our cash adequate for you, simply not our efforts to defend ourselves from terrorism? pic.twitter.com/7ZcdMxhswU
— David Lange (@Israellycool) November 6, 2025
That is a faux quote, @JohnCleese. Sadly, you’ve grow to be a real-life joke.
The very fact you have not cancelled your exhibits in Israel but is the true punchline. https://t.co/b3hQliYq4Z— David Lange (@Israellycool) November 10, 2025
And extra pro-Israel folks have been asking him the identical query on X.
Not less than one, my pal and journalist Lahav Harkov, even received a refund:
Cleese’s on-line exercise has ruffled some feathers amongst followers in Israel, who’re paying between NIS 300 and NIS 500 per ticket. One fan who had purchased tickets to one of many Tel Aviv exhibits, Lahav Harkov, senior political correspondent with Jewish Insider, reconsidered her buy after studying Cleese’s tweets, and requested and obtained a full refund.
“I purchased these tickets a very long time in the past, and I don’t need my cash to go to him anymore,” she mentioned.
So I name BS on the BDS angle. I consider the strain from Jews like me – shaming him publicly for his hypocrisy – have been the principle catalyst for the cancellation.
And whereas I’m disenchanted one in every of my favourite comedians has turned out to be such a flog, I think lacking out on his exhibits is not any huge loss.
Again in 2019, I had purchased tickets to attend his exhibits in Israel. However my late spouse handed away proper earlier than the exhibits, and I gave up my tickets. Pals who attended one in every of his exhibits informed me how disappointing his was, describing the way it was largely simply him enjoying YouTube movies of himself.
I missed Cleese’s present in 2019 for the saddest of causes. Now Israel will miss him for essentially the most pathetic of ones.
Seems life actually is a tragicomedy.
Updates
11/11/25 15:15: Cleese denies it was BDS strain, claiming it was resulting from security considerations.
However he additionally claims he’s keen on Israeli audiences!