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‘Comics for Conversation’ Event in NYC Featuring Pro-Israel, Pro-Palestinian Comedians Aims to Promote ‘Dialogue Over Discord’
A police officer removes a Palestinian flag from the William Tecumseh Sherman monument as anti-Israel demonstrators attend a protest near the Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City, New York, US, May 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
A live comedy event taking place this month in New York City will feature pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian comedians coming together to share some laughs and have meaningful dialogue about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Comics for Conversation – Because It’s Not Always a Laughing Matter” will take place on Dec. 16 and will include comedians performing stand-up sets followed by a moderated discussion on stage. The event will be the first initiative of a new movement called Don’t Hate Debate, a joint venture between the marketing platform The Heart Monitors and Stand Up NY. The format of the show showcases the mission of the Don’t Hate Debate movement, which is “to spark civil discourse through culturally relevant, grassroots activations that resonate with younger generations and diverse communities,” according to a press release for the upcoming event.
The names of participating comics and the location of the event will not be released in advance due to safety and security concerns, as well as protests against the show. Two of the pro-Palestinian comics who originally joined the lineup dropped out after facing pressure from anti-Israel activists who are against the event’s efforts to promote peaceful dialogue, Dani Zoldan, the founder of Stand Up NY and the Chosen Comedy Festival, told The Algemeiner.
“I’ve personally found that many comics do not feel comfortable speaking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in public due to fears of repercussions such as not being booked at a club or being ‘cancelled,’” Zoldan said. “Unfortunately, a few comics dropped out of our upcoming event due to pressure from one side. If we can’t have dialogue, then what else is there? It’s more reason to have this event to bring both sides together and not allow the mob and ‘keyboard warriors’ to tear us apart.”
The event hopes to promote “dialogue over discord,” offering a literal stage for people to comfortably discuss their opposing views together in a public setting. Organizers also hope to engage what they describe as the “moderate middle” who “feel disillusioned by the extreme rhetoric dominating public spaces.”
“Our Don’t Hate Debate launch of ‘Comics for Conversation’ is by no means an attempt to make fun of anyone or any issue. Quite the contrary,” Robin Lemberg, co-founder of The Heart Monitors, explained to The Algemeiner. “The first part of our event are comedic sets not poking fun of anyone. Rather, they are the ice breakers to lead to a moderated serious discussion on the issues of our time. The conflict is a microcosm of many other societal issues and one of most emotionally charged. Laughing together is a shared experience which opens us up perhaps to being more able to engage with empathy and understanding.”
Lemberg and Jon Bond co-founded Don’t Hate Debate at the beginning of last year in response to the protests and issues on college campuses related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Our initial approach was to engage the student leaders in constructive debate,” Lemberg said. “We pivoted to the idea of using influencers to model civility, as it became clear that without other role models such as professors and certainly not politicians, student influencers were far more reluctant.”
“Comedy is just one lens to find common ground and shared humanity,” she added. “We intend to bring together other influencers from the realms of music, sports, cooking from opposing sides on the issues that matter to most to model for all how we can engage civilly and celebrate what we do share.”
The post ‘Comics for Conversation’ Event in NYC Featuring Pro-Israel, Pro-Palestinian Comedians Aims to Promote ‘Dialogue Over Discord’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
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Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
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Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.