(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/8/26) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the Tribeca Festival to “take appropriate action” after a sick “joke” made by actor Elon Gold and influencer Lizzy Savetsky at the festival in which they appeared to mock reports of sexual abuse and rape of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody.
According to The New York Times: “In a short video clip she posted online, Lizzy Savetsky, a social media influencer who has described herself as a ‘passionate advocate for Israel,’ speaks with Elon Gold, a stand-up comedian and actor, and they joked about sexual assault. ‘I was only raped by two Palestinian dogs,’ Mr. Gold says in the short clip. ‘I thought they only raped Palestinians,’ Ms. Savetsky answers. ‘No,’ Mr. Gold responds. ‘I got also a dog.’”
The festival itself later denounced the comments as “offensive and unacceptable” and stated that “sexual violence and human suffering should never be mocked or minimized.”
SEE: Tribeca Festival Denounces Pair Who Joked on the Red Carpet About Rape – New York Times
In a statement, Washington D.C., based CAIR said:
“Mocking the rape, sexual torture, and abuse of detainees is morally reprehensible and dehumanizing. No victim of sexual violence should ever be treated as the punchline of a joke, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, or faith.
“These appalling comments are especially disturbing because they come amid mounting reports from former detainees, human rights organizations, journalists, and international bodies documenting sexual abuse and other forms of torture in Israeli detention facilities. Such allegations demand impartial investigation and accountability, not ridicule.
“We welcome the Tribeca Festival’s recognition that sexual violence and human suffering should never be mocked or minimized and encourage the festival to take appropriate action against these hateful individuals.”
Last month, CAIR called on Congress and the Trump administration to take immediate action after a New York Times report detailed horrifying allegations of widespread sexual abuse, rape, torture, and humiliation of Palestinians held in Israeli detention facilities.
SEE: The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians – New York Times
WATCH: Palestinian journalist Ali al-Samoudi recounts torture in Israeli prison
TAKE ACTION NOW: Demand Congress and the Trump Administration Act on Reports of Sexual Abuse and Torture of Palestinian Detainees
Late last year, CAIR called for the United States to impose sanctions on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and other members of the Israeli government responsible for the apartheid state’s prisons after a Palestinian journalist and others kidnapped by Israel recounted details of sexual assaults, including the use of various objects and dogs to sodomize them.
SEE: CAIR Condemns Israeli Prison’s Use of Dogs, Objects to Rape Palestinians
Also last year, CAIR said a report by UN experts exposing genocidal acts and sexual violence by the Israeli government in Gaza should be a “wakeup call for the international community.”
CAIR has repeatedly called for U.S and international action to stop Israel’s torture and abuse of Palestinian prisoners.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com