Day 449 - Yochay Sponder on telling post-Oct. 7 truth, with laughs

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute
audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and
the Jewish world.


Stand-up comedian Yochay Sponder joins host
Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's show, a bonus
episode from our weekly What Matters Now podcast.


After the 2012 Gaza war, comedian Sponder began using his talent
to make people laugh as a tool for pro-Israel advocacy in his
heavily Hebrew-flavored English. This work has only ramped up
since the October 7, 2023, murderous Hamas onslaught, where
thousands of terrorists infiltrated southern Israel, killing
1,200 people and taking 251 hostage to Gaza.


Initially after the attack, Sponder, whose soldier cousin fell in
battle on October 7, thought it may be inappropriate to take to
the stage and make people laugh. Today, he considers it his
reserve duty and Sponder uses his brand of truth-telling to
remind the world who started this ongoing war and that Israelis
still hope for peace.


With a personal genetic background that would put a Benetton
poster to shame, Sponder uses a brusque uber-Israeli persona to
counter politically correct norms and spotlight hypocrisy.


Sponder has toured his English-language show, "Self-Loving Jew,"
extensively this year. In our conversation, he discusses a
performance in the United States in which a group of
pro-Palestine activists showed up. The result was not what he
expected.


For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s
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podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.


IMAGE: Stand-up comedian/Israel advocate Yochay Sponder. (Limor
Azran Garfinkle)


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