Jon Stewart On Gaza: ‘The Daily Show’ Host Bucks Criticism Regarding Israel-Palestine Discussion
Talking about the conflict in Israel is a difficult path to navigate, and on Monday, Jon Stewart’s Gaza clip definitely got people buzzing. This wasn’t the first time The Daily Show host has tried to tackle the topic, but this time around, he managed to infuse a few laughs into the typically challenging discussion.
As Stewart opened The Daily Show Monday, he was prepared for the criticism in his own special way. As soon as Jon said Israel, his show’s correspondents started popping up and hollering in his ear. It went on for a moment, but it got the point across. He then said, “Look, obviously there are many strong opinions on this,” and he certainly nailed that sentiment. Stewart then added, “But just merely mentioning Israel or questioning in any way the effectiveness or humanity of Israel’s policies is not the same thing as being pro-Hamas.”
Many would say he most definitely has a point. Jon Stewart’s Gaza discussions are not new as The Daily Beast notes. Nor is the criticism over his attempts to consider both sides of the volatile conflict. Last week, the show presented a segment titled “Gaza Strip Maul,” which prompted strong and critical reactions. However, Tuesday’s brief segment seems to show that the talk show host and comic isn’t planning to back down from trying to discuss the situation while considering all points of view.
Stewart isn’t the only one attempting to address the conflict in Gaza with a new approach, and he isn’t the only one being criticized. While some celebrities take to social media and show a fair lack of knowledge on the topic before they post, fans of Stewart would say that is not at all the case here. It is common, though, for many to back down and delete their social media posts when the backlash begins. Jon Stewart’s Gaza segment Tuesday shows he’s not going to take the same path.
As The Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes, Delta Air Lines has now suspended flight service to Tel Aviv until further notice. It seems there have been reports of rocket fire near the Ben Gurion International Airport as fighting between Israeli armed forces and Palestinian rebels escalates. The situation is complex and dire, and there are no easy answers. The situation can’t be resolved via The Daily Show, but can approaches such as Jon Stewart’s Gaza clip at least make some progress? His fans would say they think it is possible.
[Image via Gawker]
