Tiffany Haddish is opening up about witnessing the extent of the destruction in Gaza City during her trip to Israel last year.
In an interview with Angie Martinez, Haddish recalled visiting a place that was reminiscent of where she grew up in South Central Los Angeles. The comedian clarified that she was talking about her trip to Israel in February 2024.
When asked for the reason behind the trip, Tiffany explained that she had already paid for the ticket, and it felt like a good time to go because "people put me on timeout."
"I learned that Gaza is so close, like, I could see it," Haddish said. "I could see the buildings burning. I could smell the damage. And you know what it smelled like, and remind me of? South Central during the riots. That was, like, back to trauma.
"If I could have went over there, and rescued everybody, I would," she added. "But I don't got that power. But I can show up, and bring awareness."
Haddish started to get emotional when talking about offering up her support for those in need, regardless of their religious beliefs.
"I put my money where my mouth is," she said. "I show up 'cause I know when don't nobody show up. When nobody cares. I don't care what these people's religion is. I don't care how they love God. Everybody deserves to live."
When Martinez asked what she learned from that trip, Haddish responded, "I learned that America got a lot to with everything."
In a since-deleted Instagram post, Haddish shared a video of herself aboard a plane, revealing in the caption that she was flying to Israel to "learn and see with my own eyes."
The comedian received backlash from people questioning the timing of her visit due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In an interview with TMZ, Haddish explained that she was compelled to take the trip to obtain first-hand knowledge.
According to BBC, Haddish first met her Eritrean Jewish father when she was 27. She also confirmed her Jewish ancestry through a DNA test. The comedian opened up about her father in the 2020 Netflix special Black Mitzvah.
Just before her trip to Israel, Haddish accepted a plea deal that got her two misdemeanor DUI charges dropped, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
The comedian was then charged with misdemeanor "wet reckless" and pleaded no contest. She was placed on a year of summary probation and ordered to complete a driver's education program, as well as 40 hours of community service.