Jewish comedian Sacha Baron Cohen will receive the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) International Leadership Award for his use of comedy to fight anti-Semitism and other forms of racism, The Jewish Chronicle reported Tuesday.
“Sacha’s fictional satirical characters have made us laugh at the kinds of hatred and prejudice that under normal circumstances would be no laughing matter," ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt said in a statement.
“There’s many ways to combat prejudice, and anti-bias education, exposure and awareness are important tools. But there are other, more unorthodox ways to fight hate. Sacha’s hilarious characters fall into that latter category," Greenblatt added.
Cohen is known for playing characters who expose racism and bias in satirical films and television, including the 2006 hit comedy 'Borat.' He currently portrays Eli Cohen, the famed Israeli spy in Syria, in the Netflix series The Spy.
Cohen will receive the award at the ADL’s ‘Never Is Now’ Summit, which will be held on Thursday in New York City.