A bitter row has broken out in the Jewish stand-up ghetto after Ivor Dembina, the owner of a leading comedy club refused to book anyone who plays benefit gigs for a Jewish racist pro-Israeli organisation.

Dembina, a veteran Jewish comic who runs the Hampstead Comedy Club, said anyone taking part in benefit gigs for JNF UK – which is linked to the Jewish National Fund, set up to fund Jewish people buying land in Palestinian territories – would be barred from performing at his venue.

This has led to a row with leading Jewish comedians including Mark Maier and Steve Jameson – both of whom have a history of performing at the North London club. They criticised Dembina’s handling of the situation – and accused him of “inconsistency” for accepting money from pro-Israeli audience members while banning pro-Israeli acts.