Canada briefly detains Israeli comedian after complaints over conduct in Gaza | World news
An Israeli comedian and former combat soldier was detained and interrogated for six hours on his way to Canada on Monday after a pro-Palestinian legal group filed a complaint against him, accusing him of war crimes and “incitement of genocide.”
Comedian Guy Hochman was detained upon arrival at Toronto Pearson international airport and was only released after intervention by the Israeli consulate. Israel Times. His detention came after the incident Hind Rajab FoundationThe Belgium-based group, which aims to hold Israeli military personnel responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, submitted a 40-page dossier about itself to Canadian authorities. The Canadian group International Human Rights Lawyers and the Palestine Law Center also joined the complaint.
Hochman’s performance continued as planned following his release. On Tuesday, Hind Rajab Foundation also I filed a complaint We call on US authorities to investigate and prosecute Hochman, who is scheduled to perform in New York on Tuesday evening.
The group argued that the planned performance “carries a further risk of criminal conduct” and noted that Hochman’s conduct could violate U.S. federal criminal laws, including the War Crimes Act and the genocide statute, in addition to international law.
The group’s dossier, which includes several photos and videos posted by Hochman himself on social media, details evidence of his presence and participation in the September 2024 destruction of the Raed al-Attar Mosque in Rafah – which the group says is a religious structure protected under international law. It also accuses Hochman of “open, repeated and flagrant incitement to genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza, both during his time working with the Israeli military and in statements he made during performances and online broadcasts.
According to the group, Hochman called for the “mass killing and destruction” of Palestinians, advocated the use of nuclear weapons against Gaza, celebrated civilian deaths, and called for starvation, displacement, and mass punishment of Palestinians, among other statements. He also called for the demolition of religious sites, stating that “not a single mosque will remain in Gaza.”
Hochman did not immediately respond to a request for comment but confirmed the detention in a social media post. “They tried to stop me from entering Canada, but after a 6-hour delay, I got in,” he said. wrote. “They tried to stop me from performing in front of the Israeli community, but I did.
“While they continued to shout ‘free Palestine’ in minus 10 degrees, we warmed up with laughter; 400 Israelis inside. This is what victory feels like.”
Dyab Abou Jahjah, executive director of the Hind Rajab Foundation, said the group “does not go after comedians”.
“What we are facing here is not comedy, but genocidal propaganda and incitement to violence,” he added. “Furthermore, Guy Hochman is not only an instigator, but also a perpetrator who videotaped himself committing war crimes.”
Hochman, a former combat soldier, began producing and distributing videos with soldiers following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, and was later recruited and sent to Gaza as an “entertainer” affiliated with the IDF spokesman unit, according to the Hind Rajab Foundation’s dossier. The Israeli army did not respond to questions about the allegations in the file. He said he had a relationship with Hochman but “it was not an IDF issue.”
“Every country in the world has an affirmative legal duty to find and punish all war criminals and genocidal perpetrators within its borders, and the United States is no exception,” Jake Romm, HRF’s representative in the United States, said of the case against Hochman in New York on Tuesday. “The United States now has a choice: enforce its own laws in accordance with its international legal obligations, or further erode the rule of law and allow its territory to be used for the most serious crimes.”
Neither Canadian officials nor the U.S. justice department immediately responded to a request for comment.
Israeli soldiers released numerous photos and videos of themselves in Gaza; It’s a practice the military is trying to rein in amid increasing criminal efforts against them abroad.
