The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Jon Stewart On Israel - Palestine | Murtaza Hussain & Yair Rosenberg

Episode Date: February 27, 2024

Jon Stewart weighs in on the war in Gaza and offers up a solution for ending the conflict. He also sits with the Intercept’s Murtaza Hussain and The Atlantic's Yair Rosenberg to discuss solutions for peace between Israel and Palestine, the United States’ involvement in the Middle East, and how the two journalists can have honest conversations even when they disagree. Plus, Jon Stewart bids a tearful goodbye to Dipper, his best boy and Daily Show OG. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Stewart here, unbelievably exciting news. My new podcast, The Weekly Show, we're going to be talking about the election, economics, ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. You're listening to Comedy Central. From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Center, it's America's only source for news. This is the Daily Show. I'm your host John Stewart. Hi, everybody. Welcome! Welcome!

Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm your host John Stewart. This is number three. The third episode. This is my third episode. The first two, very controversial. A lot of discourse around it. A lot of carping back and forth, a lot of anger, a lot of commentary.

Tonight, I'm done with it. Tonight is perhaps an Amuzbush, a trifle. Something like, tonight we discuss Israel Palis. Good evening? Are we? Who wrote this? Well, I legally have to read what's in the prompter, so... Here we go. We're going to take a look in our new and probably never-ending segment. Yes. Somehow the audience knew, but tonight we discuss Israel Palestine.

Any discussion of Israel Palestine is not meant to endorse or justify all the actions on your side. to mention that the mosque that failed to condemn Hamas do not mean we don't condemn Hamas. Do not listen to the segment if you're predisposed to anti-Semitism or or Islamophobia. Common side effects of discussing the Middle East, our depression, anxiety, infections, and craving humus. This is an awful situation. We're coming off on five months of a brutal bombing campaign brought on by a horrific massacre and hostage taking.

And we seem no closer to ending anything but the reigns of a couple of Ivy League presidents. Well this weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally laid out his plan for peace. Benjamin Netanyahu is calling for complete demilitarization of Gaza, as well as Israel taking over security and controlling entry and exit points to Gaza. So your peace plan is a siege. A military sea. You really think a military solution ends this cycle? Victory is within reach and you can't have victory until you eliminate Hamas.

But okay but your plan to eliminate Hamas by destroying all of Gaza? Doesn't that just make more Hamas'? Is that the plural of Hamas? Hamas? I mean, it's an idea. If Palestinian Liberation is an idea, unless you have a bomb that kills ideas, do you have a bomb that kills ideas? Do you have a bomb that kills ideas? I mean, how long would it even take to bomb the shit out of an idea? The intense phase of the fighting is weeks away from completion.

Not months, weeks away from completion. Oh dear God. If you insist on this plan, if you think that ends Hamas, I believe we in the United States have a banner you can use. It's a little wind damaged, but equally delusional. Look, the United States is Israel's closest ally. Israel's big brother in the fraternity of nations. Israel's work emergency contact.

Maybe it's time for the US to give Israel some tough moral love. This is shameful. There has to be accountability for these war crimes. No targeting civilians in war. Stop the war crimes and the atrocities and end the war today. It could happen right now. Right now! Thank you! These atrocities! Mark Bee!

Sorry, I'm being told the administration was talking about Russia bombing Ukraine. I apologize. Also a war crime. But I'm sure they're giving equally stern advice to Israel. The Biden administration is urging Israel to be much more careful, to be more cautious. How Israel does this matters? Israel must do more to protect innocent civilians. We want to see the government of Israel take steps to minimize civilian harm. Be more surgical and more precise.

Be more careful. Hey Israel! Take a ton of nuts. Could you please be more careful with your bombing? It's good advice. But really, couldn't the United States have told Israel that when we gave them all the bombs? There are bombs. This is like your Coke dealer coming in with an eight ball and going, don't stay up all night. Don't, sleep is very important. You got

to sleep. You don't want to, and breakfast is an important part of the day. So. look, the Israeli position doesn't seem so tenable. Perhaps I can find some diplomatic leeway in the Hamas position. Israel is a country that has no place on our land. We must remove that country. Does that mean the annihilation of Israel? Yes, of course. I cannot find diplomatic leeway in the Hamas position. Feeh-feeh. Feeh!

Well, this is when we need the world. The civilized world of nations to come together and stop this madness. A resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza has just failed to pass. A UN Security Council draft resolution to allow aid delivery has been vetoed. Russia and China used their veto against an American resolution condemning Hamas. Immediate ceasefire in Gaza has failed. Western nations voted against it. It was delayed four times this week.

Drafts resolution has not been adopted. Why do you even have a fie-fing- to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass to pass. to pass. to pass. to pass. to pass. to pass. It was delayed four times this week. Drafts resolution has not been adopted. Why do you even have a fucking building? Why? Why do you, we could use that. We have a housing crisis. Give us back our fucking building. This is not right? What is the United Nations even? What are you just a support system for a diverse and pleasing food court?

What are you? That cannot be the UN's food court, by the way. That is clearly just a mall in Long Island. Doesn't anyone care about the suffering of all these civilians? What about a good neighbor? Saudi Arabia! The Palestinian cause is the Arab world's most important cause. I want to see really a good life for the Palestinians. Thank you. Thank you, thank you. And while Saudi Arabia does not accept Palestinian refugees and Egypt doesn't either for that matter, the Saudis are the richest country in the region and they've given... This can't be right. On average, about

$200 million a year to the Palestinians. Jesus, are you kidding me? The Saudis have given just as much money to Phil Mickelson. Is that true? I assume, I assume, to promote the equally important cause of the Mickelsonian people. So Israel, the United States, the United Nations, the Arab nations, no one seems to be incentivized to stop the suffering of the innocent people in this region. Now, I didn't want to bring this up, but there is another player.

Small religious start up out of Bethlehem. I think it might have began as a carpenters union, but... Has gotten big. Do they have a plan for the Middle East? There will be the Battle of Armageddon. Jesus Christ is going to sweep over that battlefield and to annihilate that army of 200 million people. The blood will flow to the bridle of a horse. So that's the plan for the Prince of Peace, is that so?

I am not an equestrian expert. But if the blood goes all the way to the bridal, that's an enormous amount of blood, no? Unless, are we talking about the mini-horses? Because that's still... It's a lot of blood, but more manageable. And adorable. Look, I think we have to get real here.

The status quo cycle of provocation and retribution is predicated on some idea that one of these groups is going to go away. And they are not. If we want a safe and free Israel and a safe and free Palestine, we have to recognize that reality. And I know that there is a twisted and much contested history in the region that has brought us to this point. But we are at this point. And anything we do from here has to look forward.

So tonight, lucky you. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I th to do th to do that that that th to do that that that that to do that that that that that that to do to do that that that to do to do that that that that that we are that that that that that that that we are that we are that we are that we are that we are that we are that we are that we are that we are that we are that we are that we are that we are that we are that we are that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that thi that that thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. the. the. the. theateateateateatea. thooooooea. thea. theatea. that the. that that that the.to look forward so tonight lucky you. I'm going to do that with not one, not two, but a three solutions for peace. Number one. Along the shores of Pleasant Lake in Maine, 95 Israeli and Palestinian teams are trading rockets for rackets. The goal of Seeds of Peace is to open these young minds. Okay, that one hasn't been scaled up yet. Okay, that one hasn't been scaled up yet. And may take longer than we have.

Unless we just bring the whole f-feegion to Maine. How fast can we make 14 million rackets? But that's just my opening offer. That was just one peace plan, people. Don't abandon me yet. Number two. Let's just ask God. It's his house. He's the one who started all two. Let's just ask God. It's his house. He's the one who started all this. Just ask God. He can tell us who is right.

Is it the Jews? Is it the Muslims? Is it the Zoroastrians? If it's the Scientologists, a lot of us are going to have egg on our faces. But given God's lack of communication over this past, let's say millennia. Here's another one. And heaven forbid. Here's another one. And heaven forbid, I actually think this last one could work.

Starting now, no preconditions, no earned trust, no partners for peace, Israel stops bombing. Hamas releases the hostages. The Arab countries who claim Palestine is the top priority come in and form a demilitarized zone between Israel and a free Palestinian state. The Saudis, Egypt, UAE, Qatar, Jordan, they all form like a NATO arrangement, guaranteeing security for both sides. Obviously, they won't call it NATO.

It's the Middle East treaty organization. It's me too. Let's tweet it out. Me Too. Tonight, people. Let's get this region Me Tooed. Now, obviously I have not worked out the exact verbiage, but anything is better than the cluster-fix cycle we have now.

Because honestly, what is the alternative? The Trump of God sounds and the rapture happens. We're gone. In the twinkling of an eye, we're just simply not here. Poof indeed, sir. Poof indeed, sir. Poof indeed. Poof indeed. When we come back, Martaza Hussein and Yai Rosenberg will be joining me on the program and fixing everything I said. Don't go away. John Stewart here, unbelievably exciting news.

My new podcast, The Weekly Show, we're going to be talking about the election, economics, ingredient to bread ratio, on sandwiches. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. Let's continue our conversation about Israel and Palestine. Please welcome a senior writer at the Intercept, Mertaza Hussein and staff writer at the Atlantic Yair Rosenberg. Please welcome. Please welcome to that show. I told you guys that was going to get there.

I told you guys that it going to get the o'clock. Thank you. The audience, very rarely do you get a standing ovation for the guest, but clearly they think, Muslim and Jew sitting next to each other? How can that be? But thank you both for being here. their guess, but clearly they think, Muslim and Jew, sitting next to each other? How can that be? But thank you both, th you, thi, obviously, obviously, obviously, obviously, obviously, obviously, obviously, obviously, obviously, obviously, obviously, the thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. thi, thi. thi. thi. Thank you thi. Thank you thi. Thank you thi. Thank you thi, thi, thi, thi. Thank you thi. thi. Thank, thi. Thank, thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi Muslim and Jew sitting next to each other? How can that be?

But thank you both for being here. You are both, obviously, your American writers that write a lot about the Middle East. The peace plan, the Stewart plan, as I call it, the Me Too plan. And Murdozer will start with you. How unrealistic is that? It's similar to a 2002 Arab League resolution. Why? Why can't this happen? Well, you know, it's not a bad idea.

And on paper, we're going to cut there. Thank you so much, Metazzo. So appreciate that. Well, you know, I think the problem is I write about US foreign policy, especially in the Middle East, and I feel that the consistent theme here is that when we give blank checks to countries which are clients or partners, we enable their worst tendencies or their worst behaviors. In this case, you mentioned the Arab peace plan. In 2002, the Arab League offered Israel full political, economic, diplomatic, normalization. Exchange for the main crux of it is creating a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders,

which is in line with international law and so forth. Right. And a repatriation plan, which can be negotiated the details of it, but that was the crux of it. And you know, they've reiterated this plan many, many times, including recently. It's not just Arab world, the broader Muslim world too. I interviewed the Pakistani ambassador to the UN, the UN, the UN, the UN, the UN, the UN, the UN, they, they, they, they, they, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, theymea, tha, theymea, tha, tha, their, their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and repatriation, and repa, and repa, and repa, and repa, and repa, and repa, and repa, and repa, and repa, and repa, and repa, and repa, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, anda. And, anda. Andeea, anda.a.a, anda, anda, anda, anda, anda, anda, isa, isa, isa, theya, theyaqaqaqa.a.aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.a, theira, theira, anda ago. He told me that Pakistan, Indonesia, other large population Muslim countries would be willing to normalize with Israel, but they do not want the Palestinians

be thrown under the bus. They need to be a two-state solution in their view, creating a state in those lines. Without that, they cannot be. But the government reason is because they have the U.S. as a guarantor, whatever they do, they'll have a superpower backing, and many people in Israel want the West Bank. And the Israeli government, Benjamin Netanyahu is bragged that he's stopped the Palestinian state from coming into existence. And because they have this backing, they don't need to compromise with neighbors. their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, and because, and because, and because, and because, and because, and because, and because, and because, and because, and because, and because, and because, and because, and because, and because, and because, and because, and, and because, and because, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and their, and, and their, and, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and many, and many, and many, and many, and many, and many many, and many many, and many, and many, and many, and many, and many, and many, and many, and many, and many, and their, and their, and their, and their, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, their, their, their, their, their.e. Anda. And, many, many, many, their. And, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, their neighbors or engage with the neighbors. Do you think the U.S. backing of that enables this reticence? I think the U.S. putting itself in its position, not just this position, many other situations

where it acts as a blank check writer for its clients, it enables these situations. Well, we got to make money somehow. And without selling weapons, what are we going to fall back on? Come on. Yeah, you probably have a slightly different interpretation of that peace plan and also what we laid out here. So yeah, well I think that the, again, the idea is actually a pretty good one, which is that, again, the idea put some third party in between these two parties. That's what seems like has to. That would then be sort of like the referee.

The problem is, is that while you show it in your monolive states, the air, their, their, their, their, is, is, is, is, is, is, their, is, is, their, is, is, their, is, is, is, is, is, is, their, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, the idea, the idea, is, the idea, the idea, the idea, the idea, the idea, the idea, the idea, the idea, the idea, the idea, the idea, the idea, the idea, the idea, the idea, the idea, the idea, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, depending on the administration, will also talk a big game. But no one actually wants to put their own troops down there. Can you imagine America, under Democratic presidents who are retrenching from the Middle East, right, trying to get out of the forever wars? Or Donald Trump, who wants to turn Americans as some sort of isolationist country, get us out of, their, their, their, their, and stops, their, and stops, their, and stops, their, and stops, their, their, their, and stops, thii, thi, to, thi, thi, to, to, to, to, thi, to, thoomome... thi. thoom. to try. try. tha. tha. tha. tha. tha. tha. tom... to, can..... to, can....... can, can, can......... can, can, can, can..... t.. t. t. Can, can. Can. Can. Can, can. t. t t t t t t t t t tt tttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt Arab countries no different, they'll, you know, give a token amount of money and then try to like, you know, make it go away. And so that's I think the fundamental flaw here. I will say that if you took away US backing and said Israelis

we're going to put some other people on your border, particularly say, the Israeli states and they're going their their their their their thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi's thi's thi's thi's thi's I thi's I thinks I thinks I thinks I thinks I thinks I thinks I thinks I thinks I thi. thinks I thinks I thi. That's I thi. That's I thi. That's I thi. That's I thi. That's I thi. thi. thi. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. That's I's I's I's I's I's I the, I the, I the, I the, I the. That's the. the. the. the. the. thooo. I'm the. I the. I the. I the. the. the. the. the. the. th're going to be the guarantors of your security, the Israelis wouldn't say, well, I'll guess we don't have the Americans, we're just going to pack it up. Because this is a country. Nobody's going anywhere. Yeah, and also this is a country that's full of people, right, who fled other countries, including those Arab countries, because they were persecuted, right? There's like, you know, their their, half, half, half, half, half, half, half, half, half, half, half, half, half, half, the, the, the, th.... th. th. th. th. th. thi, th. thi, thi, thi, th is, tho, tho, tho, thi, thi, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, th. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and also, and, and, and, and, it's, you know, but they won't, they won't trust them. Let me, let me, let me, let me push back on both of these for just one second. So, and this just pushes back on both.

You know, we get into this litigation of, well, the Palestinians, well, the Palestinians, they propose something very reasonable, but they Israelis wouldn't do it. And they just rarely say, well, we don't have a partner for peace, and we propose something very reasonable, but they don't do. Doesn't it appear that no party is incentivized to fix this at the peril and detriment to the Palestinian people? And here's what I mean by that. Egypt has its border closed to the Palestinians. These are autocratic states in the Arab world. They all view the creation of Israel as a humiliation. If that's where they start from,

it's a very easy kind of issue to deflect attention from your own dictatorships, to own the so-called Arab Street with anger towards Israel, but the Saudis, they all do business together. Aren't they disincentivized to fix this? Netanyahu, whenever he gets in political trouble, suddenly there's a war. So who is incentivized to actually fix this and isn't the people who really suffer from all of it just the Palestinians who get no regard from any group, no real support. You know I think that was the case for some time but I think that things have changed in the sense that the Arab countries are very eager to get this off

their plate actually. That's why they had this Arab peace initiative and keep reiterating it because they no longer want to have to have to have to have their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, and their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, and, and, their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, their, their, their, thiiii, thi, thi, thi, thi, thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.ea, to have a conflict of Israel, it's not in their interest. They like to move past it, but they cannot do so in a way which ignores the Palestinians. And I think that the idea of the Abrahamic courts, for instance, was let's a sidesteph this issue and make deals with the Emirates and make a deal with Israel without a two-state solution or meaningful pathway to one or significant concessions on that subject is very unrealistic because... No, that's my point. Yes.

Yes. But if nobody is there to just guarantee, everybody has preconditions for everything. You know, Net and Yahoo, I need a partner for no violence, I won't negotiate with you. Well, America occupied Iraq, and there was violence there the entire time. I mean, imagine if we had said a precondition that there'd be no Iraqi government unless, you know, this violence would end. Nothing would ever, it seems like nobody's actually being honest or genuine in the region about their aims. I would put it a little differently, which is to say that the people who are the people the people the people th, it the people th, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it the people the people the people the people the people tho, it seems, it seems, it seems, it seems, it seems, it seems, it seems, it seems, it seems, it seems, it seems, it seems, it seems their thi, it seems, their, their, their, their, their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their tho, their tho, their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their the region about their aims. I would put it a little differently, which is to say that the people who are running the show.

So you're a scholar and I'm a comedian. We'll see, we'll see when it's done. The people are running the show for some time, which is how we arrive at this disastrous destination, are these absolutist actors, who they might say that we'll negotiate and here's a condition and here's you know whatever. They might say that to some people, but in practice we see from, you know, many years of Netanyahu governance, every single document and statement as you showed of people from Hamas. These are people who want everything, right? They see half of the people in the land as the problem, right? And then the question is how you negotiate. The abyss. Thests. And their their their their their their. The a their. The a their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their. The absolute. The absolute. The absolute. The absolute. And their is, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their. their. their th. their. their their th. their their their their their their their their their, their, their, people who are also pragmatists. And that's how we had a peace process that failed. But there were genuine majorities in the polls at the time among Israelis and Palestinians

behind negotiations for two states. And so there always are those people. They might be those people. They might be majority at a given point in time during a war right now, they're a minority. But there's always those people whosehia people who people who people who people who people who people who say people who say people who say people who say that people who say that find a way to live together. But we're not supporting those people. How could it ever be solved if the United States and Israel, the two, let's face it, most hated entities in that part of the world are the ones responsible for the peacekeeping effort?

It doesn't make any sense. If the Arabs don't step in, if the Arab nations there. And couldn't you say that this was a great work, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, that, that, that, the the, the, the, thi, the, the, the, thi, the, the, thi, thi, that, that, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, let, let, let's, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, let, their, let, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, ta, ta, ta, let's, let's ta, let's, let's ta, let's ta, let's today, let's their, let's their, let's their, let's their, let's their, let's great bulwark against the strength of Iran? Couldn't you convince UAE and Saudis that the only way to temper Tehran is by forming this alliance and recognizing them? Well, it's interesting. You mentioned that the U.S. stance in the region. That's very unpopular. I think it's related to this issue. This is the core issue of why the US has not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not, th l. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. that. that. that. that. that. that. thi. thi. that. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. th. thi. th. th. th. the the th. th. th. th. th. the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. the thi. thi. thi. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. the the the the the the the the why the US has not had normal relations in the Arab world, generally.

It's a very bitter and symbolic issue for a lot of people. We do have normal relations. We sell more weapons to the Saudis than we do to the Israelis. On a public level, or like, you know, only with dictators, for instance. The reason this democracy is very skeptical in the Arab world. We're afraid that regimes which are mad at us will come to power. But I think the main issue, I think from a US perspective primarily, is that we're involved in this very bitter conflict. We're not taking it seriously and solving it. We take a very one-sided approach, I think.

And we do that, supposedly in Israel's interest, but I think what does in reality is prolonged the conflict, to everyone's detriment, I'd come and results in a just solution both sides accept or we should leave. We should leave because impacting us in very, very negative ways, militarily, economically, strategically. We have other problems in the world to deal with as well, too. And I believe that if the U.S. were to pull what I'd say is, a blank check from Israel, it would incentivize Israel to compromise more because ultimately Israel has to live in the Middle East. That's where the country is, that's where the people are going to be. They are neighbors who are willing to compromise with us. We could move

them to Maine. Maine is wide open. They could they could play tennis. But I hear your point but to that I do think thi thi thi. I do think thiiii. thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their nea. thea. thea. thea. thea. thea. thea. thea. their neighbors. their neighbors. their neighbors. their neighbors. their their their their their th is all about the United States, that we are the actor that drives all that I think plays into a myth of United States control. And I think if we've learned anything in these last 20 to 30 years of the United States is we've got big influence, but we sure as hell don't have control. And I'm not so sure that by the U.S. changing its policy in certain ways, that that that solves this. What's your thought? tho. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. And I's thi. And I's thi. And I'm, thi. And I'm, thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I th. And I th. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I th. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thin. And I th. And I th. And I th. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I thi. And I th that solves this. What's your thought on that? Yeah, well, I mean, John, that's a very controversial thing to say that the United States is not the main character of the entire planet. Then I'm going to say, you said it, and I didn't say it. That was him. OK.

You know, because you know, this is not live. thrown. that a lot of people have that the United States and the present of the United States in particular have the ability to sort of wave a magic wand and solve these things. If they could, there are multiple American presidents who would have done so. And they would have changed the policies and they would have tried and they were always people in different factions and they tried different things. You go out to Eisenhower and we, if we are, you know, more involved. And one thing I want to say to this, though, is that a lot of people want to see a solution in the Middle East,

but they also want to see the U. And not be so involved in the region. I do think, if there is to your point, if the Arab states form a more broader alliance with Israel in a genuine way and that the United States wouldn't feel maybe that it had to be on the line there, listen, I'm no fan of any of it. I think this cycle of violence over the 75 years is destroying is is is is is is is is is thiaaa. thiiiiiiiahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah. I I I I I th. th. th. th. th. th. I thi. thi. I thus. thus. thus. I'm thi. I'm thi. thus. thus. thus. thus. thus. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thus. thus. th. th. th. thus. thus. the. thoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. I th. I th. I cycle of violence over the 75 years is destroying the dreams of two peoples, not just the Palestinians. I think it's destroying the dream of the Israeli people as well. And so I think that what we're doing now clearly and what we've been doing is a cycle that we have to pull out of. And I imagine, you know, that's the thing that ultimately has to happen. We're talking to Mur Mur Mur Mur Mur Mur the the the the the the the thos thos thos thos thos thos. tho tho tho tho thus thus thus thus. thus. thus. thus. thus. thatu, I'm thatu, I'm thi. thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thoes. I'm thoes. I'm thoes. I'm thoes. I's thi. I's thi. I's thi. I's thi. I's thi. I's thi. I's thi. I's thi. I is is thi. I is thi. I is thi. I is thi. I is thi. I's thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thin. I'm thin. I'm the the thean thean thin. I'm thean. I'm thean. I'm thin. I'm thea. I'm thean. I'm thin. I'm that's the thing that ultimately has to happen. We're talking to Murtaza Hussein and Yarra Rosenberg, and we talked a little bit about some of the things that could help break the cycle of violence in the Middle East.

You know, the act of the two of you sitting here having this conversation is almost rebellious or revolutionary in the current moment. How do you counsel Americans in this moment to be able to, you know, not lose so many Facebook friends when it comes to all this? Is there any advice that you guys have? I'll take that first. The back story of the two of us is that we've been having these conversations for something like 10 years. And the further back story is that we reached out to each other on Twitter because we both realized that we shared a lot in common about how we approached the world, but we had very different opinions on issues like these. And that's how we became friends some 10 years ago, is it?

Is it? And like, and so we've been doing this over in kosher restaurants, is it? And so I will t murders into it and then we'll have conversations like these. And John is just interloping, you know, just sort of, you know, we decided to let it come. I'll pick it up the check. Exactly. There we go. And so, and what it is, is we refuse to allow ourselves or our communities to be held hostage to Arunus conflict thousands of miles away, that we may never be able to fully resolve or fix.

But we can have an impact about how we treat each other here. And the other thing, I would say, is that we both are both journalists. And one of the things that motivates us is our pursuit of truth and what is true. And we share that even when we disagree it's because we came to different conceptions and we really believe the other is honest. Yeah, it's well said, well, you know, ultimately, as the year I mentioned, we're journalists and you know, we seek out people's perspective are different from you, who see people a different world, to see the world from a different view and then that's how you learn about the world a little bit. And I think it's easier for us too, because not, because we're not Israeli and not Israeli and not, and not, and not, and not, we're, and we're, and we're, and we're, and we're, we're, and we're, we're, and we're, and we're, we're, we're, and we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're their their their their their their people, we're their their their their their their, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're their their people, we're their people, we're their people, we're their people, we're their people, we're their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their thiiiii., we seek thi., we seek thi., we seek thi., we seek thi., we're thi., we seek thi., we're thi., we're thi., we seek thi., we seek out thi. We're thi. We're thi. We're thi. You know, both of us know people who have, families, members have been killed recently, many dozens in some cases, in Gaza recently, and you know, that emotional component, you can compartmentalize it when you're not so directly involved. So we look at it to

an American perspective, two different sides of this issue in some sense, but we're able to have that conversation which is destructive. What I would say, you know, I could accept any Palestinian view, or any Israelis view when when when their their their their their their, their, th. th. thi, thi, thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I, you know, I could accept any Palestinian's view or any Israeli's view when they're so intimately involved in it, but I can never respect the blood-thirsty American. That's the only person I could not respect. So, you know, I have said this for many years. One of the biggest issues I have with American foreign policy is how cavalier it is about the destruction that so money of our policies have had internationally. Even something as simple as, you know, we had a big issue here with burn pits with Iraqi

war veterans and Afghan war veterans. And we talked a lot about getting them the help they need here. But the thing nobody ever talked about was what those did to the environment in Iraq and Afghanistan. We left, and I think our policies oftentimes are cavalier to the destruction that occurs. I've reported so many people whose family members were killed by the U.S. military or by the violence at the place in that time, also a very elevated rate of cancer and other indirect causes of the war.

And it's kind of forgotten actually. Those people are, their lives go on. But you know, the impact that we had in a very cavalier moment, you know, to us because the new cycle moves on. So, but you know, those memories stay and the impact's our ability to operate there or how we're viewed there in the future. so so so so th so the future. many, at the end of the Cold War, there was an optimistic view, we can make the world a better place.

I think that's okay, it's true in some cases, but I'm a lot more hesitant to get the US deeply involved because there's a very negative track records. I think there's a bunch of money at it and now we're the best of friends and they buy our cars and we buy their cars and it's all lovely and all it takes is a little bit of money and some American know-how and we can turn the world into allies. I think we might have learned the wrong message from all that. I'd also say from reporting have the wrong impact. If you have a great mythology about yourself

and how you fix all the world's problems, then some people will say, how can the Americans not fix this problem? And they're like, no, they believe us? People believe us. SOTOMAYOR And I will say to them, actually, there are a tremthat we've told. And sometimes people really expect us to make good on it. There are impossible promises that we can't keep. How do you guys negotiate this pragmatic view

within your own families? Because I know within, you know, there is no, I can't get five Jews to agree on anything at dinner. Like, how do you negotiate that within your own families? You know, I think there's the personality type that tries to really hear where people are coming from and speak to- How do you get one of those in your family?

Shea-shire dumb luck, or your dad is a rabbi, in my case? Right. And so that's what you do trying to understand where everyone in the audience is countercrum. Your synagogue can be diverse, and there are people with different political and ideological perspectives. And how do you tell them the truth and stay true to that, while also saying, you know, speaking to each of them. And so yeah, it's a type of personality. You see it in different kinds of political leaders and spiritual leaders who managed to do this, and there are others who feel like, what's the hardest, sharpest, best viral slogan I can use on Twitter, right, to own the other side.

And by the way, when we were younger, I mean, I'll speak for you, we were like that. I was much more hot-headed when I was younger. Really? Yeah, when we first met. You guys seem, I'm saying. Like I, this is so calming to me that I, what about you, same? So let me ask you guys this thing, because that brings up an issue point. What mitigated the rashness?

Was it just youth? What, what got you guys less visceral? I think getting older is one aspect of it, but then also, you know, reading a lot of books, trying to see other people's ready to travel that has a big impact on keeping, thin, I thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, to, to, to, to, to, thi, thi, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, thi, to to to to to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, their, to, and to, and to, and to, and to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, thei, thei, thei, their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their, their, and say, reading a lot of books, trying to see other people's directed to travel, that has a big impact, I don't think, keeping open mind, trying to treat others consistently as you want to be treated, keeping that golden rule in mine as well too. I'll tell you, you know, you mentioned family. It's interesting, because I've had a conversation about, I've had a family. I had an uncle who lives in Pakistan. And he was very critical of the US war in Afghanistan. He thought that it was very, very bad. He said, I think he visited Kabul, and that's kind of what put this in his mind.

He said, well, look, there's nothing, it's being built here. It's all falling apart. They didn't make anything good from their presence here. It's just, it's not the end of purpose, you just can't do it, actually. So you know, there are moments like that. That's hilarious. I mean, you look at, I mean, this is where we're getting to, the jokes portion, which is hard in this topic.

Very hard. And like people ask me, like, how do I conceptualize, like, how do I'm a a the, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, the the their their, their, their, their, their, their, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, their, their, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, their, their, their, their, their, I their, I their, I the New York Times, that's 350 to 450 miles of tunnels underneath Gaza. And it's like, to think of it this way, it would cost New York City $648 quadrillion dollars over 268 years to build that much tunnel. Right. You know, it's just a really large. Well, but they would just raise the conversation and really just admire both you

Not just for having this conversation, but your journalism as well. It's it's really fantastic stuff. So thank you both Murtauga Hussein And the guy you're a good thing. Thank you. John Stewart here, unbelievably exciting news. My new podcast, The Weekly Show, we're going to be talking about the election, economics, ingredient to bread ratio, on sandwiches. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. All that's all that.

All that everybody else show for tonight. Before we go, we're going to check in with your host for the rest else that's our show for tonight. Before we go, we're going to check in with your host for the rest of this week. Michael Gasta, Michael. So nice to see you. The people are clamoring for you. What are the stories you're going to be covering this week? Well, we're going to be covering the big political event in this country, John. President Biden is taking a trip to the border the border the border the border the border the border the border the border the border the border the border to the border to the border to the border to the border thethe same day that Donald Trump is taking a trip to the border. The question, John,

is which border? So tune in this week to find out. Thanks everybody. My God, you don't need to thought for him. That's not, I'm pretty sure it's the U.S.-Mexico border, so I don't think that I'm going to... Dude, spoiler alert. Spoiler. I'm sorry. It's just... Michael Koss, everybody, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Anyway, so I know we're only three episodes into this, but if you'll indulge me, I wanted to tell you a little bit of a story. About 12 years ago, maybe 13 years ago, my kids wanted to raise a little money for an animal shelter down in New York City. It's an incredible animal haven is the name of it. They do incredible work. It's a no-kill shelter for cats and dogs. And so, yeah, they're amazing.

So, they were little, I mean, six, seven years old, so we baked a couple of cupcakes and rolled on down to Animal Haven and set up a little table right outside and put the cupcakes out. And as a little extra incentive, they brought out this one-ish-year-old-old-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-s-s-s-s-a-s, please-s, please-a-s, please-s, please-s, please-s, please-s, please, please-s, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-nii-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-noo-s.eea-no-s.ea-s. Iuui-s. tho-s. tho-s. tha-s. tha-sea-sea-sea-s. tha-sea-s. tha-s. they brought out this one-ish-year-old Brindle Pitbull who f-Bick. Uh, hit by car in Brooklyn and lost his right leg. I thought I'd get further. So it was a perfect idea. They put the dog in my lap and we left that day. We left that day feeling really good that we'd helped this great organization. We also left with this, this one-ish-year-old, Brindle Pit Bull.

We called him Tipper. And in a world of good boys, he was the best. He used to come to the Daily Show every day. He was part of the O.G. Daily Show dog crew. Parker, Quali, Dipper, Riot. They were the OGs in the office. And they were, Dipper would wait. We'd come and tape the show, and Dipper would wait for me to be done. And he met actors and authors and presidents and kings.

And he did what the Taliban could not do, which is put a scare into Malala Yos-sowing. Oh dear, you're in bulk. Hi, Malala. It's fine. Dipper passed away yesterday. Dipper passed away yesterday. He was ready. He was tired. But I wasn't.

And the family, we were all together. Thank goodness. We were all with him. But boy, my wish for you is one day you find that dog, that one dog. It just is the best. Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show, wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes anytime on Fairmount Plus.

This has been a Comedy Central podcast. John Stewart here. Unbelievably exciting news. My new podcast, The Weekly Show. We're going to be talking about the election, economics, ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart wherever you get your podcast.