During a recent live show, comedian Dave Chappelle took aim at Palestinian-American artist DJ Khaled for his silence on the ongoing war in Gaza. The moment, which took place in Etihad Arena as part of Abu Dhabi Comedy Season, came when an audience member shouted out Khaled’s name. Chappelle responded by roasting the producer.
“DJ Khaled, let me tell you something,” he began. “For a Palestinian, this man is awfully quiet right now. And as a Palestinian, how could you be that quiet right now? And why are you so fat? People are starving. He’s the only fat Palestinian on Earth right now.”
Chappelle’s remarks touched on a criticism that has been circulating for months. In February 2024, DJ Khaled’s cousin, Fadie Musallet, discussed cutting ties with Khaled over his continued silence. “There’s no reason, there’s no excuse when you’re actually a Palestinian,” Musallet said during that interview.
Dave Chappelle Palestine
Dave Chappelle has publicly shown support for Palestine over the last several years. During a performance in Abu Dhabi in 2024, he walked onto the stage accompanied by the track "My Blood is Palestinian" by singer Mohammed Assaf. After a person yelled "free Palestine" during the show, Chappelle spoke about the Gaza Strip, labeling Israel's actions as a "genocide."
During his opening monologue from a January episode of Saturday Night Live, he urged the audience to have empathy for displaced people, "whether they're from the Palisades or Palestine." Chappelle is not the only person to use that phrasing, as human rights groups and foreign governments are also labeling it as such.
DJ Khaled has long been one of the most visible personalities in hip-hop. There was a long period where he was all over social media, and fans will likely remember his Snapchat antics from the mid-2010s.
Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, Khaled has gone silent, only posting his motivational videos and content with his family. As the most famous Palestinian in America, fans have long waited for him to deliver any form of commentary. After Chappelle's latest digs, he may finally feel compelled to.
