“There’s a protest outside; we hear a lot of the noise,” said the host of “Created.” A second later, Neistat got up from his chair, grabbed an oversized Israeli flag he had in his office, opened the window in the room, and then proceeded to wave the flag outside as the anti-Israel protesters walked by. After the demonstrators left the street, Neistat brought his Israeli flag back inside.

“It’s always something in this city,” Neistat stated. “I think that was some sort of pro-Palestine march. They like to go down [the street] Broadway.” Explaining his decision to wave the Israeli flag outside of his window right as anti-Israel protesters walked by, he said, “You gotta show the love, you know … That was an anti-Israel march going down Broadway and when that happens I like to wave either my American flag, or an Israeli flag, or some combination of both.”

Youshaei afterwards asked Neistat how he feels speaking publicly about Israel despite how “polarizing” the subject is. Neistat replied that it is “challenging” at times.

“I’ve never been one to hold my tongue. I think that exacerbates for me the frustration in speaking out against antisemitism,” Neistat added. “Because long before I spoke out against antisemitism, I was quick to speak out for pro-LGBTQ rights. And I was very loud in speaking out in my support of African Americans and why it’s important that we stand up if there’s a moment in this country when our fellow Black Americans are feeling like they’re being unfairly. I’ve never held my tongue. So when it becomes about antisemitism, for me it’s certainly different because I think one is only able to truly understand prejudice-ness through which the lens they experience it … I know what it’s like to be treated differently because I’m Jewish and I feel like I can speak on that in a different way.”

Neistat then reiterated his support for Israel, talked about loving the country and its people, and visiting the Jewish state. He noted that while it’s  “fair” to criticize Israeli politics and leaders, he gets upset when people try to deny Israel’s right to exist and defend its borders.

“I think what’s so frustrating about this conversation is you’re not allowed to say, ‘I want innocent people living in Palestine to not be suffering and I want them to have good lives. But I also believe — I don’t just believe, I’m convinced of the fact — that Israel has every right to exist and when attacked, Israel has every right to protect itself and to fight back.’ And you’re not allowed to say those two things,” Neistat told Youshaei. “You’re not allowed to say that you think there are good people in Palestine and that you support the state of Israel.”

He then referred to the anti-Israel demonstrators who were just outside his office building and told Youshaei: “If I went down there and tried to say that to those people screaming, marching down the street, they would not be receptive to that conversation. And that is really hard. It’s super hard to have that conversation and it’s frustrating. So it’s not hard to speak up. It’s hard to try to reconcile that we can’t be civil and have an honest conversation about such a volatile, dangerous, personal matter.”

“Realistically, there would be violence if I went down there with an Israeli flag,” he added. “I don’t mean to generalize; perhaps there would be people down there willing to engage in conversation. But in my experience, because I go to a lot of counter-protests, there’s no willingness to engage in a conversation.”