Students walk out of Jerry Seinfeld's Duke commencement speech after comedian's support of Israel

Jerry Seinfeld's Duke University commencement speech sparked student walkouts on Sunday, as pro-Palestinian protests continue on college campuses across the country.

As the "Seinfeld" co-creator took the stage and prepared to speak at the university's commencement ceremony, groups of students were seen walking out, a video shared on social media showed. Some of the students held Palestinian flags, indicating their protest was in connection with Seinfeld's support of Israel.

Other attendees could be heard countering the protests and supporting Seinfeld by chanting, "Jerry!"

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Seinfeld for comment.

The comedian visited Israel last year in the wake of Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attack. On Oct. 9, Seinfeld posted an "I Stand With Israel" graphic on social media, writing, "I lived and worked on a Kibbutz in Israel when I was 16 and I have loved our Jewish homeland ever since. My heart is breaking from these attacks and atrocities."

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In an interview with GQ published in April, Seinfeld said he was surprised he received a "hostile" reaction to his trip to Israel, but does not regret it. "I don't preach about it," he told the outlet. "I have my personal feelings about it that I discuss privately. It’s not part of what I can do comedically, but my feelings are very strong."

Speaking on "In Depth With Graham Bensinger" last month, Seinfeld said he feels "very close to the struggle of being Jewish in the world." He added that antisemitism "seems to be rekindling in some areas" and that he wanted to "be supportive to the Israelis."

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In recent weeks, students at universities across the United States have been protesting Israel's actions during the war in Gaza and demanding their colleges divest from the country.

Seinfeld, who received an honorary degree from Duke University, did not address the student walkouts during his commencement speech, nor did he comment on the Israel-Hamas war.

Instead, the "Unfrosted" director delivered a comedic speech, telling students, "I can't imagine how sick you are of hearing about following your passion. I say, the hell with passion. Find something you can do. That would be great. If you try something and it doesn't work, that's okay, too. Most things do not work."

Seinfeld also told graduates that he admires their generation's ambitions "to create a more just and inclusive society" before adding that they should "not lose your sense of humor."

Contributing: Claire Thornton, USA TODAY; Reuters