Live from Jerusalem ... It’s Comedy for Peace! By David Lewis

This week in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the originator of the Comedy for Peace™ concept, Palestinian-American comedian Ray Hanania, will be performing with a team of Jew and Arab, Israeli and Palestinian comedians in a series of comedy shows from the Holy Land. 
 

• Wed. Jan. 24, 9 PM - The Syndrome Club – West Jerusalem
• Thur. Jan. 25, 8:30PM - American Colony Hotel – East Jerusalem
• Sat. Jan. 27, 9 PM - Tzavta #3, Tel Aviv 
• Wed. Jan. 31, 9 PM - Kol Haneshama – West Jerusalem

 
Other shows are still being scheduled.  Regrettably shows will not be possible in the West Bank, for many reasons. 
 
Performing with Ray will be four Jewish comics: his Chicago comedy partner, Aaron Freeman, and three Israelis: Shachar Chason, Charley Warady and Yisrael Campbell.  (Ray calls him “Zionist-Entity” Campbell.)   
 
The American Colony show – in East Jerusalem – is one that press can attend and 85 reporters have already signed up.  ABC News will be doing a story for its (US) evening news broadcast.  (More on that when broadcast date is set.)
 
It is wonderful to report this positive progress after the project’s long hiatus imposed by the impasse in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, the ongoing degradation of Palestinian-Israeli relations after the Hamas election and the war this past summer.  We have continued to build the infrastructure of the project and explore ways it can be used in other conflict zones but it is fantastic that the original vision of the project is finally being achieved.  Jews in West Jerusalem and Tel Aviv will listen to a Palestinian comedian’s perspective and Palestinians in Haifa and East Jerusalem will listen to Israeli and Jewish comedy.
 
Hopefully these shows will be a small example of how people can – at least for a few hours – set aside pain and demonstrate…
 
If we can laugh together, we can live together.™
 
All the best.
 
David