Israeli Top Comedy Show Draws Criticism for Its Portrayal of Zohran Mamdani

A recent episode of Israel’s widely watched satire program Eretz Nehederet, aired on Channel 12, has sparked criticism after it portrayed U.S. politician Zohran Mamdani in what one columnist describes as racially stereotyped and offensive terms.

In the sketch, Mamdani was depicted in a way that referenced his background, race, and political identity. According to the article, the portrayal included what the writer calls racist undertones and broad-brush caricatures rather than a nuanced satire.

The author argues that beyond the question of whether the sketch was funny, the deeper concern is about how the character was reduced to a set of tropes rather than treated as a complex public figure. The column states that the show “reduced Zohran Mamdani to racist stereotypes.”

While the specific dialogue and full context of the sketch are not publicly detailed in the article, the criticism centers on the fact that the satire leaned on racial and ethnic signifiers — signaling Mamdani’s immigrant background, Muslim heritage, and his role in American politics — in a manner that the writer found problematic. The piece asserts that “there’s plenty to debate and more egregiously — it just wasn’t funny.”

The article further situates this incident within a broader media-representation conversation: when a majority-language national show chooses to portray an overseas politician of minority background, the way ethnic or racial identity is handled becomes especially significant. Here, the author implies that the sketch crosses from irreverent satire into implicit bias.

No official response from the show producers or Channel 12 is cited in the report, nor is there a publicly documented comment from Mamdani himself in the article. The columnist contends that the absence of acknowledgment or pushback from the show strengthens the perception that the production team either overlooked or dismissed the critique of stereotyping.

Key details from the article:

• The show in question is identified as Israel’s top comedy show.
• The critique was published on October 30, 2025, by writer Etan Nechin for Haaretz.
• The core allegation: the portrayal of Zohran Mamdani leaned on racist stereotypes, misrepresented his identity, and failed to rise to the level of effective satire.

For readers curious about representation in international media, this case raises several questions: When is satire legitimate critique versus reinforcing stereotypes? How do national entertainment programs engage with foreign public figures, especially those from minority backgrounds? And what responsibility do producers have when that figure is portrayed in another country’s cultural context?

This controversy has opened a broader discussion about the boundaries of comedy, the cultural sensitivity of global satire, and the ongoing need to balance humor with respect and awareness — especially when the subject is someone from a marginalized or racialized community.