Ramy Youssef called for freedom for Palestine and the release of hostages taken in the Israeli-Hamas war in a monologue on “Saturday Night Live.”
“This is an incredibly spiritual weekend,” Youssef said at the beginning of his monologue. We are in the holy month of Ramadan. Tomorrow is Easter. And yesterday BeyoncĂ© released a new album. So many. Religions are celebrating all at once.”
He went on to talk about the power of prayer and joked: “In my group of friends, I'm one of the only guys who prays. I'm friends with a lot of sinners, like, just disgusting people. And they call me when they're in trouble, because… Because they want me to pray.”
Yousef recalled receiving a call from his friend Ahmed asking him to pray for his family in Gaza.
“It's like, 'Hey, I get it,'” Youssef said. “So that night I went to pray, and my prayer was complicated. I have a lot of things that I have to fit into. I was like, 'God, please help Ahmed's family.' is. Please stop the suffering. Please stop violence. Please free the Palestinian people. And release the hostages, release all the hostages. ”
Youssef then stopped and finished his monologue with a smile. he is a beautiful dog I'm praying for that dog. ”
Elsewhere in his monologue, Youssef touched on the upcoming elections, saying: “To be honest, I don't like either option.”
“I truly believe that the next president should be a woman,'' Youssef said, to loud cheers and applause. “You know what I mean? That would be amazing.”
“I think the next president should be a trans woman,” Youssef continued, acknowledging that the applause had waned a little. “There's been a little bit less support, you know. That's New York, right? People in New York are like, 'We're liberal, but we're Italian.' be careful! '”
He was contacted by a man named Muhammad who worked on Joe Biden's campaign before the 2020 election, telling him that Biden was “a big fan of your work” and “a big fan of everything you've done for Arab America.” I remember him saying, “I love you.'' Youssef then quipped, “He said it as if it were a country.”
Muhammad asked Yousef to help him brandish Michigan blue and say, “Arab America!” the comedian joked.
“He said, 'Joe is aware; [of you]” continued Youssef. “That's big, isn't it? Because Joe has consciousness issues. I mean, 'Joe is aware.' It's like the Nobel Peace Prize. ”
Youssef has been a vocal advocate of peace between Israel and Gaza, and has worn a “ceasefire artist” pin to the Academy Awards ceremony. “We call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. We demand peace and lasting justice for the Palestinian people,” Youssef said. Said varietyMarc Malkin appears on the red carpet. “This is a universal message: “Let's stop killing children.'' Let's not contribute to any more wars.'' No one now looks back on the war and thought bombing campaigns were a good idea. plug. Surrounded by so many artists lending their voices, the list continues to grow. Many people will be wearing these pins tonight. There are a lot of hot people in the news, but this is a hot topic space. We are trying to bring this great light to humanity. ”
Youssef is preparing for the release of his second HBO comedy special, “More Feelings,” which will premiere on March 23rd. Among them, Egyptian American comics explore themes such as the 2024 presidential election, the importance of prayer, and reports on books read in childhood. changed the course of his life.
He is best known for creating and starring in the Hulu comedy series “Ramy,” about an Egyptian-American family in New Jersey navigating spirituality, finances and political divides. Along with Mo Amer, Youssef also co-created the Netflix series “Mo,” which is currently filming season two. Earlier this year, he hit the awards circuit in support of Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things, starring alongside Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe as Max McCandles.
Watch Yousef's full monologue below.