NBC complaint: Anti–Semitic Weekend Update report during show of Saturday night, February 20 by Michael Che

Your Weekend Update skit in which Michael Che stated that Israel is not vaccinating Palestinians was ay best ignorant, and at worst an anti-Semitic prevarication. The fact is, Israel is not required by the Oslo Accords to provide medical care to the people in the Palestinian territories, as the Palestinian leadership originally acknowledged before they discovered they could make political hay by complaining that Israel was not vaccinating the residents of those territories. Moreover, Israel equally vaccinates Arab citizens and Christian citizens, and any other ethnic or religious minorities as well as Jews, if they want to get vaccinated. There is no evidence whatsoever that any Israeli of any ethnic or religious group has been denied vaccination. And indeed, Israel has even vaccinated illegal as well as legal immigrants living within its borders. The skit was slanderous, and much like the historical anti-Semitic blood libels Jews have been subject to for millennia. Your network is obligated to issue a public apology and it should be done at the opening of the next Live SNL show, before the opening skit, because so many people tune in to watch then. Shame on SNL, shame on Michael Che, whom I have heretofore always admired as an integral part of your show, which I have watched since Chevy Chase did Weekend Update, and shame on NBC.

With sincere pain and disappointment,

Alan Axelrod
New York, NY