The Monty Python alumna shared a series of comments on X that were critical of the Jewish state, including the claim that it ‘controls global finance’
November 27, 2025 11:53
Actor John Cleese has pledged to perform in Israel free of charge after apologising for a series of anti-Israel X posts.
The Monty Python alumna had his upcoming tour in Israel, which was due to take place in December, cancelled following the outcry at posts he re-shared on social media, including one claiming that Israel “controls global finance” and another containing fabricated quotes attributed to Israeli officials.
In an interview with Jewish News, Cleese said he was "extremely sorry", adding: “I didn’t check them properly... I couldn’t believe some of them had been completely invented. It was a mistake.”
“I don’t understand the internet,” he went on. “People create things and don’t care that they can be disproved.”
In one of the posts, Cleese wrote "unbelievable" above a tweet he reposted of a fake quote attributed to the former Israeli ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely. The quote read: "There could be a million dead Palestinian children and I would still sleep well in the evening."
The embassy later confirmed to the JC that Hotovely has never made such a remark.
Cleese also shared a post featuring a screenshot of a Jerusalem Post article carrying the headline "Israel is trying to legalise paedophilia". The article echoed the claims of a far-right MK during a debate on prospective changes to Israel’s age of consent laws which were never passed.
The screenshot was spliced above an image of an unrelated tweet by Israel's official X account stating "age is just a number" in response to an X user celebrating the 73rd anniversary of the country's independence.
And he later shared a video of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the 1980s talking about the Jewish state's "influence over America".
The accompanying post read: "So American institutions will advance Israeli interests over American ones?"
The JC contacted Cleese's agents at the time, but they did not reply.
A statement released by the production company that organised the shows, Alon Yurik Productions, said at the time: “We deeply regret that John Cleese has succumbed to threats from BDS organisations, especially after all tickets to his performances had long been sold out.
“We will continue to give our all to bring the Israeli audience the finest shows and cultural events.”
But now, Cleese has said he wants to still perform in Israel and repair the trust he has broken, telling Jewish News: “When I feel it’s safe,” he said. “And I will perform free of charge.”
And he said that the reasoning behind his posts was to engage with potential political questions from fans, adding that "if I didn’t say the right thing, it would be unpleasant for the rest of the tour,” before condemning Hamas as "the nastiest of all terrorist organisations”.
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