Short answer: As of July 2026, Penn & Teller have never issued a public statement of support (or criticism) for Israel, have no known donations, event appearances, or boycott involvement tied to Israel, and have not visited or performed there in any documented capacity. Teller has confirmed Russian-Jewish ancestry on his father's side, but no personal or professional connection to the State of Israel. Their politics lean libertarian, and neither has publicly connected that to a position on Israel.
What Penn & Teller have actually said and done
- 2004 (father's death; ancestry disclosed in later interviews): Teller's biography confirms his father, Israel Max "Joseph" Teller (1913-2004), was of Russian-Jewish descent, born in Brooklyn and raised in Philadelphia. Teller's mother was Methodist, and he has described his own upbringing as "a sort of half-assed Methodist," according to Wikipedia's entry on Teller. This is a genealogical detail, not a stance on the country of Israel or Israeli affairs, and it's corroborated by a Forward piece on the lineage of Jewish magicians.
- 2011: In his book "God, No!" and in interviews tied to its release, Penn Jillette discussed his atheism and recounted eating non-kosher food with Hasidic Jews as an anecdote about secularism, not as commentary on Israel or Israeli politics, per NPR's coverage.
- July 28, 2014: Penn Jillette appeared on Fox Business Network's "The Independents" in a broadcast that included "Israel Diplomacy" among several segment topics, according to Reason's rundown of that night's show. No transcript or clip has surfaced showing Jillette himself commenting on Israel specifically during the segment.
- March-April 2025: Israeli-Canadian illusionist Vitaly Beckman, who grew up in Haifa and calls himself a "proud Israeli Jewish person," appeared on "Penn & Teller: Fool Us" for a third time (aired March 28, 2025) and later closed their live Las Vegas show on April 26, 2025, as reported by the Canadian Jewish News and confirmed by Teller's Wikipedia page. This reflects Beckman's own Israeli identity, not a statement by Penn & Teller about Israel.
- Through July 2026: No reputable outlet has reported Penn & Teller donating to Israeli causes, performing in Israel, joining or refusing a boycott (BDS or otherwise) related to Israel, or making any public statement about the Israel-Hamas war, October 7, or the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on their general public record documented on Wikipedia.
Jewish identity and the magic world's Israel ties
Penn Jillette and Teller (born Raymond Joseph Teller) are the American magic-and-comedy duo behind decades of Las Vegas residencies, the Showtime series "Bulls**t!," and "Penn & Teller: Fool Us." Both are self-described atheists and skeptics associated with libertarian politics, with Jillette a recurring guest on Fox Business's libertarian-leaning "The Independents" and a frequent writer on secularism. Teller's paternal line is Russian-Jewish; his father was born Israel Max Teller, a fact Teller has discussed when talking about his family history, but it's a genealogical detail rather than any expressed connection to the modern State of Israel or its politics. Jillette has occasionally referenced Jewish culture and Hasidic communities in his writing on religion, framed around his own atheism rather than any geopolitical stance.
The clearest Israel-adjacent thread in their public record is incidental: Israeli-Canadian illusionist Vitaly Beckman, who grew up in Haifa, has been a repeat guest performer on "Fool Us" and has toured with the duo. That reflects Beckman's own identity and career, not an endorsement by Penn & Teller of Israel or its policies. No credible source, including AP, Reuters, the Times of Israel, JTA, or the Jerusalem Post, documents Penn & Teller weighing in on Israel, Gaza, or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including in the period after October 7, 2023.
The bottom line
Penn & Teller have no documented public position on Israel: no visits, donations, boycott activity, or statements tied to the country, through July 2026. The only verifiable Jewish-identity thread is Teller's Russian-Jewish paternal ancestry, a personal genealogical fact rather than any expressed stance on Israel.
Support Israel directly
Whether or not a celebrity has spoken up, plenty of people want to make their own support for Israel visible. Shop Israel's I Stand With Israel collection includes pieces like the I Stand With Israel bracelet, a simple, wearable way to show where you stand, with a portion of proceeds supporting Israeli causes.
Related
- Does Jerry Seinfeld Support Israel?
- Does Howie Mandel Support Israel?
- Does David Letterman Support Israel?
Last updated July 2026. We update these profiles as the record changes.
