12:55 PM PT -- The Conference of Presidents -- a coalition that speaks on behalf of several Jewish orgs, including the Anti-Defamation League -- put out a strong statement against Che's joke.
Jewish Leaders Disturbed by Antisemitic Humor on @nbc’s Saturday Night Live pic.twitter.com/HbBmTpiThJ
— Conf Of Presidents (@Conf_of_Pres) February 21, 2021
They say Israel's vaccination rollout is being distributed equitably, regardless of gender, race, or religion ... and their efforts have included Palestinians living in the area too. COP goes on to say that what Che did was piling on to anti-Semitic tropes, which they find deeply troubling.
"Saturday Night Live's" Michael Che is getting dragged for what some are calling an anti-Semitic joke.
Che was at the anchor desk for "Weekend Update" Saturday night, when he quipped that half the folks in Israel have already gotten the COVID vaccine, adding, "I'm going to guess it's the Jewish half."
True enough ... Israel's faced criticism for not yet inoculating around 100,000 Palestinians who work in Israel. That said, Che did not say the Israeli half was vaccinated ... he said the Jewish half. By saying that, he made it about religion, not the government.
Fact is ... Israel is inoculating Jews, Arabs and Christians. They were slow on the uptake with Palestinians, but they're correcting that.
Twitter went crazy after Che dropped the joke, calling him out, but he has yet to address it.
Originally Published -- 12:58 PM PT