Reginald D Hunter embroiled in Fringe show anti-semitism row after mocking Israeli couple heckled by audience

Campaigners have condemned Reginald D Hunter and urged eyewitnesses to come forward in response to a newspaper review of his show on Sunday night at Assembly’s George Square Studios.

The American comic was accused of laughing at the couple as they left the venue after abusive comments were shouted from the audience.

Mr Hunter has been a regular performer at the Fringe since he was nominated for the then Perrier Award in 2003 and 2004.

However he has drawn criticism in the past for material about Holocaust denial.

The latest row is said to have emerged from a joke Mr Hunter made about an abusive wife. 

The review of his Sunday night performance said that he joked: “My god, it’s like being married to Israel.”

However Mr Hunter is then said to have been told by by the couple that his joke was not funny, before they were in turn heckled by the audience.

Mr Hunter is reported to have told them: “I’ve been waiting for you all summer, where the f*** you been? You can say it’s not funny to you, but if you say it to a room full of people who laughed, you look foolish.”

A statement posted on social media by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism said: “The events described at the Fringe are extremely concerning.

"Comedians are rightly given broad latitude, but they also have a responsibility to their audience.

“Watching on and cracking jokes as Jews are hounded out of your show is a sickening low that cannot be disguised as comedy.

"We have seen this before in recent months and venues must stand extremely firm against this kind of behaviour.

"Our lawyers are examining this incident and we urge anyone who was present at the show to contact us in confidence.”

A spokeswoman for Assembly Festival said: ““We are aware of an audience members choosing to leave Reginald D Hunter's performance on Sunday.

“The venue front of house team attended and supported the members of the public upon exiting." 

Mr Hunter previously defended joking about Holocaust denial by insisting his material was about “freedom of thought and freedom of expression.”

He said at the time that he was “poking fun” at the fact that the Holocaust was seen as “off-limits” for comedy.

He added: “There have been loads of holocausts. Jews have the honour of having their holocaust known as 'The Holocaust', and that's fine. That's the way the world works."