Dave Chappelle: For a Palestinian, DJ Khaled is awfully quiet right now

During a show in Abu Dhabi on Friday night, American comedian Dave Chappelle did not hold back in criticizing US President Donald Trump and his approach to the conflict between 'Israel' and Iran. 

“Trump, I don't know about this guy. I can't tell if he's going to do good or not,” Chappelle quipped, referencing the chaotic week in the Middle East. “What a week you guys must have had over here in the Middle East.”

The 51-year-old comedian also ridiculed Trump’s social media post from Saturday, in which the president claimed responsibility for targeted strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

“‘We did a meticulously perfect attack. We have disabled their nuclear facility,’” Chappelle said, quoting Trump’s Truth Social post. “And then at the end of the post he said, ‘And now is the time for peace!’ Word? I don’t think that’s how this works, champ.”

The comic went further, poking fun at the recent controversy surrounding US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who came under fire in March for reportedly leaking military planning via Signal. “Trump bombed Iran, in an attack that was carefully planned on WhatsApp,” Chappelle joked, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Chappelle also touched on growing anxieties in the US over the region’s instability, saying, “Everybody in America is scared. It’s not good when Bible places are in the news. That means it might be the end of times. And if it is, you know what? I had a good run.”

When an audience member shouted the name of Palestinian-American DJ Khaled, Chappelle questioned the artist’s silence on Gaza. “DJ Khaled, let me tell you something. 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,” he said.

Chappelle has been a vocal critic of 'Israel’s' actions in Gaza. In his Abu Dhabi show last year, he labeled 'Israel’s' bombardment of Gaza “genocide,” receiving strong applause. While he refrained from naming Palestine directly during his latest set, he made his stance unmistakably clear in the final moments.

“Now that I’m a big powerful voice in America, I’ve learnt that I have to be careful,” he said. “I can get in some kind of trouble and they’ll try to extort me and put words in my mouth so that I come out here and lie to you.”

He ended with a knowing message to the crowd, “So if that ever happens, we need a phrase. It has to be something that I would never say. So that if I say it, you know not to listen to anything I say after that. You ready? The phrase is: I stand with Israel.”