America's great civility debate appears to have hit "The Daily Show."
Last week, Jon Stewart's show featured moderate Palestinian lawmaker Mustafa Barghouti and a Jewish-American activist named Anna Baltzer.
During the interview, someone in the audience tried to disrupt the interview by shouting "liar!" after Barghouti said that Palestinians had been subjected to the longest occupation in history.
"Apparently we have Joe Wilson with us tonight," Stewart said in an attempt to defuse the tension.
Baltzer reportedly wrote a letter to friends to say that "The Daily Show" was being flooded with complaints from pro-Israeli supporters and that the heckler was the first one on the show's 11-year history.
The segment, which was remarkably tame for a discussion of this issue, sparked varied reactions.
One blogger called it "disgraceful."
Barghouti represents a marginal branch of Palestinian politics. He got about 20 percent of the vote when he ran for PA president in 2005. His "Third Way" political party garnered less than 3 percent of the vote in the 2006 legislative elections.
On the show, Barghouti touted non-violence and reconciliation. He dominated the talk (as edited) and Baltzer had little air time to share her views.
Over at TalkingPoints Memo, M.J. Rosenberg praised Stewart for having the two on his show.
"Because Jon Stewart is so utterly at home as an American and as a Jew, he can say what he thinks about the Middle East," Rosenberg wrote. " And that seems to be be that diplomacy is better than killing people and that no lobby should inhibit debate on an issue that affects all Americans. Jon Stewart, all by himself, has created a sea change in the mass media's approach to the Middle East. Once others in the business see that Stewart says what he thinks -- and not only survives but thrives -- others will do it too."
when is the last time you saw a palestinian representative on any mainstream news outlet in America? for me the answer is NEVER
and this one time John Stewart has the courage to bring in the viewpoint from the other side, the zionists are complaining.
disgusting
Posted by: NTY | November 02, 2009 at 11:54 AM
I think it is intellectually healthy to hear the other side of the 'fence'. Let both the Jews and the Palestinian Arabs speak in public their own minds. By gracefulness of the Almighty we might find some foundations for true peaceful settlement of Israel conflict...
Posted by: guideman | November 02, 2009 at 09:05 PM
People actually watch Stewart?
Honestly, Americas are as sick of listening to whining jews as the palestinians are. Further, Americans could give a rat's butt less about palestinians. This whole thing is a continuation of a tiny fraction of the world's population screwing it up for everyone else.
Posted by: Thomas | November 03, 2009 at 09:49 AM
Yup, its always some reich wingnut from the American Enterprise Institute, the 'all powerful' AIPAC 'Mafia' or motor-mouth Abe 'Foxie' Abraham of the ADL giving the Palestinian prospective of news in the Middle East, 'always' the American 'Sheeple' swallow it, 'hook, line and sinker' in all their blessed ignorance of world events.
TheAZCowBoy
Tombstone, AZ.
Posted by: TheAZCowBoy, Tombstone, AZ. | November 03, 2009 at 01:08 PM
about time someones got the balls to let the truth out keep it up stewart!!!
Posted by: independence | November 07, 2009 at 02:09 AM
Until the Arabs give 30 pieces of silver to congress to counter the Zionist 30 pieces of silver the whole discussion thing is irrelevant. Zionists just play the American taxpayer for the fool we are when it comes to Israel.
Posted by: mfellion | November 10, 2009 at 02:32 AM
Politicians and right wings always fear people who are moderate and are Peace seekers. Barghouti and Baltzer were great and they showed the other side of the conflict that you never see in mainstream media in the US. I salute John Stewart.
Posted by: Ali Dahmash | November 11, 2009 at 04:50 AM