Mustafa Barghuti on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart
So I watched it. First, it was interesting that he came accompanied with a (nice) Jewish woman activist for peace. But it came across as awkward: as if the Palestinian could not be brought before the audience without the approval and blessing of an American Jewish person. As if to say: he is OK. This one is a human being. Secondly, the tension was felt as soon as Barghuti began to speak: when a member of the audience yelled: liar. And Jon Stewart, who repudiated and mocked Rep. Wilson for yelling "liar" to Obama, treated the yelling but the audience member as a healthy or normal expression of the intensity of passions on both sides. He almost sounded: as if the words of Barghuti are equal to the rude yelling but that dude. Thirdly, Barghuti was quite rude and sexist: he would interrupt the woman as soon as she would try to talk. It really bothered me. She did not have a chance to speak. Fourthly, as is the case when it comes to Israel, Jon Stewart was not himself during the segment: he was not funny or witty, and he was nervous and felt (it seemed to me) an obligation to parrot the cliches of MEMRI and AIPAC without even intelligent review of those cliches. He said that Jews were expelled from Iran in 1948. Just like that. Fifthly, Barghuti kept repeating that his "movement" stand for non-violence. Yet, another attempt to show that he--unlike other Palestinians--is a human being. Sixthly, Barthuti was dragged into giving assurances about "the security of Israel." Here was a visitor from an occupied land invited to a TV show to give assurances to the occupying state. A theater of the absurd, for sure. Seventhly, Jon Stewart (who is usually smart and well-informed about politics) sounded as ignorant and as ill-informed about the Arab-Israeli conflict as the average American. He cracked a joke about Palestinians and Israeli, implying that all Palestinians are Muslim. At least Barghuti corrected him on that one.
(The Angry Arab)
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Good points!! That Jon Stewart dude!! I mean, really!! Maybe we just have to feel happy and content that he wasn't mouthing all AIPAC's talking points, only a few!..That's about all the satisfaction one can get as far as he's concerned!
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There are many motives for satisfaction about that program though but I just felt that Stewart was somehow disappointing.
ReplyDeleteI'd say Stewart was fair. It was not a spectacular appearance, but some information got out. What is suppossedly so new is that a Palestinian got to state his position in a non hostile environment. It's pretty fucked up that that is so rare and controversial. Palestinians are rarely interviewed on American television, especially when compared to Israeli spokesmen-and when they are interviewed it is usually by a hostile host with a Zionisnt there for "balance". The first questions are, "Do you renounce violence?" "Do you recognize Israel's right to exsist?" and "Do you believe the Holocaust really happenned?"
ReplyDeleteSilly! The fact he had them on at all is a huge step forward. You must look at all of the small victories. Just a year ago this would NOT have happened.
ReplyDeleteA huge victory would be the wall coming down or the Palestinian right of return being recognized. This interview was it was-a pretty good appearance on cable tv.
ReplyDeleteVERY small one indeed vza. A baby step forward..
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt that Barghuti is an honorable man. But face it, the reason he was given air time is that he acceptable to the Israeli left. Maybe next time they can have someone whose party got more than 3% of the vote.
ReplyDeleteStill, there are some questions I would have liked to ask him. For instance, as a doctor he must have treated a lot of injuries inflicted by the Israelis. I would have liked to hear about some he found especially troubling. Also, his knee was broken when he was in custody of the Israelis. I'd like to hear how that happenned.
<span>Joe
ReplyDeleteDr. Barghouti is a broken man, full stop. The reason why he's widely perceived as "acceptable" is not because he's right in his approach to the issue but because he's obviously broken and deeply humiliated and is not going to ask for much..Obviously Americans (ok, I'm generalising a bit) just LOVE that..Crumbs will do for those little cute mammals!
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Needless to say that I'm angry beyond what's humanely possible..The reason? The US has just aligned itself 100% with the Israeli line on settlement..No freezing no bullshit..We can all go to sleep now.
ReplyDeleteWhat a Surprise! US to Israel: Settlement freeze not a precondition for peace talks.
And:
<span style="color: #ff0000;">US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, signaled a U-turn on settlement building.</span> During a visit to Jerusalem, she told the Palestinians - the issue is not now a precondition for negotiations.
http://palestinianpundit.blogspot.com/
That's a revolting assessment of a man who has devoted his entire life to providing a real service to his people when others LEFT and made good lives for themselves in the evil U.S. or lined their pockets with aid money. Barghouti SAVED lives. He did not squander them on suicide bombings.
ReplyDeleteI'm now somewhat gained to the idea that the US is an ENEMY of the Palestinian people and The Palestinians are not stupid or even naive..They just KNOW those things. They feel it in their flesh...
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong vza.. I like the man and he's RIGHT in his approach..Still he's not going to get much..Next to nothing so to speak..CRUMBS!
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that. During the war on Gaza, he was all over the cable and netwrok news programs. He did get results in that more and more people in the U.S. have started to ask questions about our stupid and unjust unconditional support of whatever Israel does.All small steps but they will add up.
ReplyDeleteI am absolutely disgusted by the back pedaling of the Obama adminsitration but it won't last. We will have to change.
<span>I am absolutely disgusted by the back pedaling of the Obama adminsitration but it won't last. We will have to change.</span>
ReplyDelete------------
I just hope you'll right..
The only way we are going to see change is if individuals start to understand that this is a confluence of interest, and that we are going to have to see systemic change here in order for things to be correctly addressed over there. You have a package deal here, a system which no longer listens to its people but to voices of lobbies which represent corporations and a moneyed elite - until the knot is cut by the people not a whole lot is going to happen.
ReplyDeleteBarghouti is my favorite Palestinian. He is the only real popular mainstream leader who seems good and decent. {Fayyed's free market emphasis is positive, but all of you don't like him, so there must be something wrong with him. Moreover, he is part of Fatah, and Fatah has a lot of thugs who intimidate and abuse Palestinians.}
ReplyDeleteTGIA, how do you know Barghouti won't get anything? How can he get anything unless he is elected?