Ramy Youssef became political for his opening monologue on “Saturday Night Live”… asking God to free Palestine as well as the Israeli hostages.
The comedian addressed the conflict on Saturday, sharing an anecdote involving two of his friends… who asked him to include their struggles in his prayers.
One friend asked him to ask God to help him regain custody of his dog from his ex-girlfriend – while another asked Ramy to pray for his family in Gaza.
Ramy joked that their prayers were complicated by the very different requests. He added… “Please free the people of Palestine. And please free the hostages, all the hostages. And while you’re at it, free Mr. Bojangles. He’s a beautiful dog. I’m praying for that one puppy. “
Ramy’s politically charged monologue was well-received by the studio audience… who responded with a round of applause for the first-time host.
Ramy Youssef wears an Artists for Ceasefire badge in #Oscar: “We call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. We call for lasting peace and justice for the people of Palestine.” | Variety in the carpet presented by @DIRECTV https://t.co/qxqSOgif3j pic.twitter.com/yyM7HzpVdZ
– Variety (@Variety) March 10, 2024
@Variety
The 33-year-old has been very vocal about his stance on the Israel-Hamas war, previously calling for a ceasefire during the 2024 Oscars. He notably wore an “Artists for Ceasefire” pin to the awards show, alongside Billie Eilish , Mahershala Ali and Mark Ruffalo, Ramy’s “Poor Things” co-star.