'Anti-Semitism has become a comical accusation': Comedian Bassem Youssef

Asked about the recent rise in tensions between Israel and the Biden administration over the war in Gaza, Youssef said "it's sad it took 32,000 people to be killed [in Gaza] to get to that."

The heart surgeon-turned-comedian expressed frustration at the debate surrounding the classification of Israel's offensive in Gaza as genocide, calling it "counterproductive".

The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip says at least 32,490 people have been killed, most of them women and children, since Israel began its offensive in retaliation for the October 7 Hamas attacks.

Youssef, whose wife hails from Gaza, has become a strong voice for the Palestinians. "I don't like to be called an activist," the stand-up comedian insisted. "I just say things that other people think."

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