Arab-Israeli comedian arrested over standup routine involving jokes about hostages, Oct 7 events

The Israel Police arrested Arab-Israeli stand-up comedian Nidal Badarny on Monday, after canceling several of his shows in venues in Haifa and Nazareth over jokes regarding the released hostages and about the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks. 

The police later released a statement confirming that they had "opened an investigation against a suspect from the north who uploaded videos to social media containing crude statements made during his performances in front of an audience, raising concerns about disturbing public peace. Due to the severity of his actions, the suspect was arrested for questioning at the police station, and a decision regarding further proceedings will be made upon its conclusion."

According to a report in Walla News, Badarny's arrest was partially due to complaints filed against him by Shai Glick, CEO of the right-wing human rights organization B’tsalmo. 

“Nidal Badarna is not an artist but an inciter and glorifier of terror. We will ensure he rots in prison and that an indictment is filed against him. His place is in jail, not on public stages,” Glick said. 

Arab Knesset Member Ahmad Tibi condemned Badarny’s arrest, accusing the Israel Police of selective enforcement at a time when murders in the Arab sector are increasing rapidly, with little police intervention. 

“Nadal Badarna, an Arab comedian, was arrested tonight on charges of ‘joking about the kidnapped.’ He did not call for burning Palestinians in gasoline like Ofer Levy, and did not use calls for genocide as Israeli artists have done recently. He was simply joking. Black humor. His performances were prevented by the Israeli police, who do not deal with the numerous murders [in the Arab sector] but do deal with the performances of Arab comedians,” Tibi wrote on 𝕏. 

Tibi also posted a video of Israeli singer Ofer Levy, saying he would not take any prisoners if he were a soldier in the current war. 

“If I were a soldier in the IDF now,” Levy says in the video, “there would be no prisoners. I would kill everyone.” 

"Burn everything until the last of them, including them all."

Israeli singer and former soldier Ofer Levy said he was a “very violent” soldier in Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon and that if he were serving now, he would "kill everyone" and "burn as well". pic.twitter.com/b0dDi6SEb5

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) February 24, 2025

While admitting that Badarny’s jokes are often crude and deal in “black humor,” Tibi said there is a clear difference between what is permitted for a Jewish artist and an Arab comedian. 

Badarny posted some of his jokes to social media, including one in which he joked about the female hostages being released in sweatpants and sports attire, saying it looked like they completed “a Pilates course.” 

In another video he posted about the Oct. 7 attacks, he said, "The Palestinians have proven that Toyota is a vehicle with zero faults.” 

After the cancellation of his performances about a week and a half ago, Badarny commented, "The cancellation of the show is part of a policy of silencing and an attempt to take away our freedom of expression. This is in addition to the attempt to take away the right to laugh and create, our right to culture and art. It’s unacceptable that every Israeli can tease and create satire on TV shows, but we’re not allowed to? I’m certain I’ll continue writing comedy, expressing my opinion without hesitation and without fear.”