The child of Russian Jewish immigrants, the woman born Joan Alexandra Molinsky went beyond lip service when it came to the Holy Land. She made pro-Israeli political donations. She worked for LGBT equality in Israel. She was a guest on an Israeli comedy show and appeared on Israeli news.
“I’m amazed at Israel,” she told Channel 10 Israel. ” … They gave us the worst possible land and we turned it into Eden.” And: “I think every Palestinian should get a nose job, because once somebody’s had a nose job, they won’t fight because they’re too scared the new nose will get broken.”
Right — there were the zingers, for which Rivers sometimes took heat, sometimes from fellow Jews.
Rivers was criticized by the Anti-Defamation League for this red-carpet observation about Heidi Klum earlier this year: ““The last time a German looked this hot was when they were pushing Jews into ovens.”
Rivers refused to apologize. “This is the way I remind people about the Holocaust,” she said. “I do it through humor. My husband lost his entire family in the Holocaust.”
Weeks before her death, Rivers held forth on the Israel-Palestine conflict for paparazzi. Among her choicest quotes:
“If New Jersey were firing rockets into New York, we would wipe them out.”
“If we heard they were digging tunnels from New Jersey to New York, we would get rid of Jersey.”
What about the civilian death toll? “Don’t you dare put weapons stashes in private homes.”
Where are the civilians supposed to go? “I don’t care. They started it.”
What about the international press’s allegedly pro-Jewish bent? “BBC should be ashamed of themselves and CNN should be ashamed of themselves.”
What about Selena Gomez’s pro-Gaza tweet? “Selena Gomez — oh yeah, that college grad. … Let’s see if she can spell ‘Palestinian.'”
Rivers clarified her comments soon after. ““What I said and stand behind is, war is hell and unfortunately civilians are victims of political conflicts,” she said, adding that she was “praying for peace.”
Rivers may have prayed for peace, but her rhetoric was never reserved. As the Times of Israel reported, she got a tattoo on the inside of her arm earlier this year: “6M,” for six million killed by Nazis in World War II.
Israel, it seemed, was part of her.
“I love Israel for its blue and white flag as it matches my legs,” she once said.
Related:
Comedian Joan Rivers dies at 81
+29
The entertainer broke barriers as the host of her own late-night TV show and became known for her comments on celebrities.
Comedian Joan Rivers dies at 81
+29
The entertainer broke barriers as the host of her own late-night TV show and became known for her comments on celebrities.
