LISBON, 09 Sept. - (ANA) - A growing number of Portuguese artists have pulled out of a major Lisbon comedy festival headlined by Jerry Seinfeld, with performers citing opposition to Israel's genocidal war on Gaza and the US comedian's outspoken support for Israel.

 

Actress and comedian Inês Aires Pereira announced that her show Namastê had been removed from the inaugural MEO Commedia a La Carte Fest, saying she could not share a platform where "one of the names" repeatedly defended views and actions she considered "indefensible".

 

"We cannot relativise or normalise a genocide," Pereira wrote on social media, expressing solidarity with Palestine.

 

Although Pereira did not name Seinfeld, the US comedian is the festival's headline act and has become one of Hollywood's most prominent supporters of Israel since the start of the Gaza war.

 

Portuguese comedy duo Cebola Mol, made up of Eduardo Madeira and Filipe Homem Fonseca, have also withdrawn.

 

"We will celebrate justice, freedom and joy with you on another occasion," the pair wrote on social media.

 

Their announcement featured an illustration of the comedians alongside a watermelon, a widely recognised symbol of Palestinian identity and solidarity.

 

Several other Portuguese acts have dropped out of the festival, including Tributo Pop, featuring Carolina Deslandes, Tatanka and Bárbara Tinoco, as well as Conjunto Cuca Monga, comedian Pedro Tochas and visual artist Vhils, whose real name is Alexandre Farto.

 

Some of those performers have not publicly explained their reasons for withdrawing.

 

Vhils said his name had appeared on a festival poster but that he subsequently asked organisers to remove it.

 

"I asked for it to be removed and it was," he wrote, adding that he wanted to make clear he would not participate.

 

The withdrawals have put renewed attention on Seinfeld's increasingly vocal support for Israel as its onslaught on Gaza drew international condemnation.

 

His comments on Palestinians and the Palestine solidarity movement have also repeatedly sparked controversy.

 

During an appearance at Duke University last year, Seinfeld compared the "Free Palestine" movement to the Ku Klux Klan, arguing that people using the slogan were concealing hostility towards Jews.

 

"By saying 'Free Palestine', you're not admitting what you really think," Seinfeld said, before suggesting the KKK was "a little better" because its racism and antisemitism were explicit.

 

The comments drew criticism for equating a political movement advocating Palestinian freedom with a white supremacist organisation.

 

Seinfeld has faced protests at several public appearances over his stance. Students walked out of Duke University's commencement ceremony in 2024 as he received an honorary degree, while demonstrators have interrupted or protested outside some of his comedy shows.

 

He has also faced condemnation over separate encounters with pro-Palestine activists. In one recorded exchange, he responded: "I don't care about Palestine", when asked to voice support for a free Palestine. In June, he drew further criticism after telling a pro-Palestine livestreamer that Palestine "doesn't exist".

 

The inaugural Lisbon International Humour Festival is scheduled to run from 29 October to 1 November, with Seinfeld due to close the event at Lisbon's MEO Arena on 1 November.

 

His performance remained on the programme as of Monday despite the mounting withdrawals, while calls for further artists to boycott the festival have circulated on social media.  - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/09 September 2026 - - -