Jerry Seinfeld has never been shy about his affinity for the New York Mets.
But it’s only in the last few years that he has publicly expressed his love for the Israel Defense Forces, which he did again Wednesday after the Mets defeated the rival Philadelphia Phillies in Queens to advance to the National League Championship Series.
Approached by a fan who claimed a brother was watching the match from the Gaza border, the 70-year-old comedian happily offered a message to the unnamed person in Israel.
Dressed in a Mets hat and sweatshirt, Seinfeld patted his chest, pumped his first and delivered.
“Let’s go to the IDF,” Seinfeld said in the video, which went viral after it was shared by a pro-Israel X account. “And let’s go Mets!”
Jerry Seinfeld didn’t shy away when asked to voice his support for the IDF and the Mets
The former primetime television Nielsen viewer received widespread praise online for the message, with several commenters thanking him for his input.
“Jerry is amazing,” one wrote.
“He made us all laugh and now he makes us all proud,” another added.
However, many others were critical of Seinfeld’s support of the Israeli regime.
“Cheering for the terrorists,” someone wrote on X.
Seinfeld’s support for Israel amid the country’s military actions in Gaza and Lebanon has already divided audiences. In May, dozens of students left Duke University’s commencement ceremony chanting “free Palestine” as Seinfeld addressed the graduating class.
Video of the speech also showed several attendees leaving the viewing booth, including one person wearing a keffiyeh, which can be an emblem of solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
Others shouted “Jerry!” Jerry!’ while the actor received an honorary doctorate, and Seinfeld delivered his speech without major interruptions.
The Mets, Seinfeld’s old team, celebrated their first NLCS berth since 2015 this week
The message, from a pro-Israel account, drew some criticism on social media
The vast majority of responses supported Seinfeld’s pro-IDF statement
“A lot of you are thinking, ‘I can’t believe they invited this guy.’ “Too late,” he said, after promising to “defend” the concept of privilege.
‘I say: use your privilege. I grew up as a Jewish boy from New York. That’s a privilege if you want to be a comedian,” he added.
Seinfeld visited Israel and has been outspoken in support of the country since October 7, 2023, when the militant group Hamas killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 252 others, with 133 believed to remain in captivity in Gaza, according to Israeli figures.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military operations have killed more than 42,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave.
Before his speech to Duke students in Durham, North Carolina, Seinfeld also faced criticism for his visit to an IDF camp in the West Bank in 2018.
Seinfeld talks with Israeli President Shimon Peres on November 23, 2007 in Jerusalem
“I can never see Jerry Seinfeld happily posing with a machine gun in an IDF fantasy camp,” one person wrote at the time.
“Jerry Seinfeld took his kids to play war games with the IDF. So cute, right? Now imagine the reaction if Bella Hadid posed with the PFLP or DJ Khaled [brandishing a machine gun] dealt with Hamas,” academic and critic of Israel Steven Salaita wrote in 2018.
Despite the criticism, Seinfeld’s support for Israel appears to have only intensified in recent years.
“I will always support Israel and the Jewish people,” he said after the October 7, 2023, attacks.