Writing for The Daily Beast, Dean Obeidallah lavishes praise on The Daily Show's Jon Stewart for bringing a "new level of American awareness of the pain of Palestinian civilians."
Specifically, Obeidallah notes Stewart having the most impact among celebrities and college students. Celebrities such as John Cusack, Rihanna, Selena Gomez and ballers Dwight Howard and Amare Stoudemire have all recently tweeted support for Palestinians. Obeidallah calls these public displays of support "momentous" and a direct result of Stewart's impact.
I believe we have Stewart to thank for it.
Obeidallah writes that he has personally seen Stewart's influence among students as he visits colleges performing comedy:
Time and time again I hear from students that The Daily Show has informed them about political issues, including the Middle East.
Stewart's appeal to this young demographic, according to Obeidallah, is that he is "proudly Jewish" and supports Israel. At the same time, he inspires others to criticize the Jewish state when its "policies are not in keeping with their own sense of right and wrong." Similar to the way that proud Americans criticize its government, Obeidallah reasons.
Obeidallah concludes:
The seeds Stewart has planted over the years have taken root and are starting to blossom. And here’s why that’s a good thing for all. Stewart’s message is truly one of empathy—something often missing in discussions of this conflict. Too often, people view this contest as a zero sum game where even the slightest acknowledgment that the other side is suffering is an attack upon their own side.
Why not give Stewart’s approach a chance? Stop with the knee jerk, blind defense of your own side—regardless of which that may be. Instead, if the people you support are committing acts inconsistent with your own sense of morality, then you should speak out.
Maybe, just maybe, this approach will yield common ground that can be the foundation to build a bridge to peace. It’s certainly worth a shot because the current path is an abject failure for all involved.
