The Tribeca Festival says it “unequivocally condemns” jokes made by comedian Elon Gold and influencer Lizzy Savetsky about dogs being used to rape people.

In a clip she posted online, Savetsky, an advocate for Israel, talks with Gold on the red carpet for Tribeca’s premiere last week of the Israeli film The Wedding Entertainer (The Tale of Moishe Badhan). Gold is an actor in the film and one of its producers. Talking about making the film and his excitement to be at the festival, he quips, “I was only raped by two Palestinian dogs.”

“I thought they only raped Palestinians,” Savetsky answers.

“No,” Mr. Gold responds. “I got also a dog.”

The joke, which sparked widespread disgust, was an apparent reference to a New York Times Opinion piece that included allegations by Palestinians that dogs were used to commit sexual abuse in Israeli prisons.

The Tribeca Festival said in a statement over the weekend that the jokes did not in any way reflect the festival’s values.

“The Tribeca Festival is aware of the concerns raised regarding a clip circulating on social media and unequivocally condemns the offensive and unacceptable remarks made by Elon Gold and Lizzy Savetsky at the premiere of The Wedding Entertainer (The Tale of Moishe Badhan).

“Sexual violence and human suffering should never be mocked or minimized,” the festival continued. “The comments do not reflect the Tribeca Festival’s values, and we regret the hurt and offense they have caused. We have not been able to reach the filmmakers.”

Savetsky is not in the film and she was invited to the premiere by the film’s team, not by the festival.

In a statement Sunday, she posted on Instagram, “If you want to talk about actual rape, then let’s talk about actual rape like the mass rape of Israeli women on Oct. 7 and onward.”

The Times‘ opinion piece, published last month, included an interview with a Palestinian journalist who said that dogs had been used to commit sexual abuse in Israeli prisons. Israel’s prime minister threatened to sue the Times for defamation over the column, and the Times said in a statement that the threat “aims to undermine independent reporting” and argued that “any such legal claim would be without merit.”

The Wedding Entertainer, a U.S.-Israel production, is about a disgraced Hasidic wedding comedian who must “secure one last gig to raise the $20,000 required to marry off his daughter,” according to Tribeca’s summary.

Main image: Lizzy Savetsky and Elon Gold at the Tribeca Festival premiere of The Wedding Entertainer.