Israel: Losing on the ‘Daily Show’
In case you missed it... Jon Stewart gave Israel and its supporters "The Daily Show" treatment over its attacks against Gaza.
Did this gag represent a one-night punch line, or was it an ominous sign for Israel's PR fight? Between us, I wouldn't read too much into it -- sometimes a gag is just a gag. But my colleague, Ron Kampeas, offered a different take in an interview with the San francisco Chronicle:
Journalist Ron Kampeas, bureau chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in Washington, D.C., who covers the conflict, said the increasingly vocal concerns of Jewish Americans such as Stewart, who have come forward to express themselves, reflect changing culture and mores. But it doesn't mean they are anti-Israel, he said.
"This is a culmination of something that has been going on for a while," he said. "What used to happen is that when Israel did something controversial," many Jews thought it "wasn't kosher" to publicly question because it might fuel perception that "Israel is losing Jewish support."
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What? I thought the BBC parody was absolutely hilarious...and spot on. I haven’t laughed that hard in a while.
Ami Eden is, alas, correct. The bit from Israeli tv is not the least funny, nor close to a biting satire. I watch “Ha-Arutz Ha-Yisraeli” (Israeli Network) on Dish Network satellite tv. I can report to you that Israeli comedy is as boring as the British comedies (boring to death, IMHO) and rely on slapstick humor reminiscent of Jerry Lewis in the 1950’s. For a sophisticated country, Israeli satire is surprisingly and notably absent. As for Jon Stewart, his comment about Israel’s mistreatment of Pals for the past 50 years, which drew hoots and applause from his audience, reveals an appalling ignorance on his and his audience’s part. 50 years ago, Gaza was occupied by Egypt. After Israel liberated Gaza, 41 years ago, it brought electricity, running water, sewers and hospital care to the neglected population. During Israeli administration, Gaza was a paradise compared to Arab life in any Arab country - including Egypt. It was the Jibril exchange in 1986 that allowed 1500 terrorists into the territories, who engineered the “Intifadah” and led to Oslo, which has, in turn, turned Gaza into Hamastan and the “West Bank” into PLOville. While he’s on a roll, can Stewart now be expected to tell us how the Holocaust was retribution for the Jews’ mistreatment of German customers in the Jewish department stores? It’s bad enough that Stewart’s adolescent humor is exalted in the media; but, now he takes himself seriously as a humorist and political commentator. His parading of his ignorance should prick the balloon of his inflated ego. Maybe this time he has jumped the shark.
I think Jon Stewart is usually right on, and he is influential. I am very disappointed with this move on his part, and his recent comments about the supposed power of Aipac/lobby to prevent any criticism of Israel in US politics. Stewart is out front as being Jewish, which I like, but not when he turns it into yet another “Jew against Israel’s “over-reaction” voice.
Ken Price quite succinctly recites some of the key facts showing the ignorance of Stewart.
Who the hell is jon stewart? What is he to anybody? I do not believe intelligent people will take their world view cue from a political joke. (jonzarella’s JUMPED the shark!)
to all of those who keep talking about a peace in the Middle East and Isreal’s disproportionate responses to arab terrorists I would like to ask them one question for which I would expect an honest answer. Of all the states when send ambassadors to to negotiate a settlement can you name one that truely wants to see a successful democratic Palastinian state in their midst? How long would any of the autocrats last if there was any true arab democracy.
Side point the US has given Egypt as much as 3 billion a year in foreign aid in the past. With only a million inhabitants how much good could have been done if the Saudi’s had given the people of Gaza that kind of money to develop their economy?
The real answer is there is no peace settlement in the Mid East because no Arab government wants to see a successful Palistinian State. The poor Palistinian people arevmore useful as pawns to keep the conflict alive until they can figure out how to destroy Israel. Does anyone think Hamas is joking when they state their goal is not peace with Israel, but the destruction of Israel. Tell me how you talk to people who only want to destroy you and whose schools and institutions have been preaching hatred and death for decades.
Goes to prove that one does not need to be a non-Jew to be an anti-semite. Anyone who objects to the Jews stand up to defend themselves against the murderers aiming rockets at their kindergartens, promotes said murderers’ cause. One can agree or disagree with various policies of the Israeli gov’t. But in this case there is no over-reaction. What is the “proportional response” when rockets are fired from Gasa into a Sderot kindergarten or a Ashkelon school? to fire into a kindergarten and a school in Gaza? Israel is doing the right thing in protecting its citizens. I hope that our country, the US, would have the fortitude to protect its citizens, including Jon Stewart, if we were threatened and attacked by our neighbors. And if he finds the death of many Gazans abhorrent, he should take those responsible to task - and those are the Hamas murderers. Instead he blames Israel for their deaths, like all the anti-semites in the world who the jews for all the world ills and perpetuate blood libel.
Stewart is just another example of a morally corrupt liberal who is so beholden to the left-wing causes of his audience that he loses sights of right and wrong. If he did it unintentionally, then he is an idiot, and must apologize. If he did it willfully, then he is an anti-Semite. My bet is that apology will long in coming. He should go drinking with his ideological buddy Mel Gibson
Either Israel is a secular state or it is not. If it is truely a secular state, then condemnation for any of it’s actions cannot be construed as anti-semitic nor can support for it’s actions be construed as pro-jewish. To do so would be a false accusation in an attempt to conflate the issue for some other purpose. These types of accusation, such as the ones above leveled at John Stewart are gradually losing their opacity and becoming more obvious for what they are....weak minded, political and moral deceptions.
It is no secret that islamic extremists bear a hatred not just for Israel but for jews in general. They make no distinction between the state and the religion. So, obviously their derision of Israel can be viewed as anti-semitic.
But to proscribe that formula to the rest of the world, including jews that you disagree with, is morally reprehensible and cowardly.
John Stewart owes no blind allegiance to Israel. Why should he? He’s an American. Perhaps you would like to argue that this makes him an anti-semite but you would first need to acknowledge that you believe Israel to be a religious state. Otherwise we’re left with no other choice than to conclude you’re arguments are void of logic or reason.
What does Israel being a secular state have to do with anti-Semitism. Alfred Dreyfus was about as secular as it gets.
In other news - I wrote about this on my blog:
http://ronmossad.blogspot.com/2009/01/will-real-jon-stewart-please-shut-up.html
Check it out...and read the comments, a lot of them from his fans but you can see how a lot of people view Zionists these days. It’s pretty scary.
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Joseph Spivack
01/15/09 06:11 PM
Who cares what Jon Stewart says...or thinks!