"Those who crusade, not for God in themselves, but against
the devil in others, never succeed in making the world better,
but leave it either as it was, or sometimes perceptibly worse
than what it was, before the crusade began. By thinking
primarily of evil we tend, however excellent our intentions,
to create occasions for evil to manifest itself."
-- Aldous Huxley
"The only war that matters is the war against the imagination.
All others are subsumed by it."
-- Diane DiPrima, "Rant", from Pieces of a Song.
"It is difficult
to get the news from poems
yet men die miserably every day
for lack
of what is found there"
-- William Carlos Williams, "Asphodel, That Greeny Flower"
don’t you mean moustafa barghouti? marwan is in prison…
Many thanks Marcy, correction made. I’ve done this before: always calling Moustafa Marwan for some reason.
Canadian viewers can watch here:
http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart/exclusive-interviews/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart—anna-baltzer-and-mustafa-barghouti-interview-extended/#clip229121
Any link for UK viewers?
A letter from Anna Baltzer:
Daily Show needs letters of support for having Barghouti & me on
Dear friends,
Last night Dr. Barghouti and I were on “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart talking about Palestine.
The show was overwhelmed with angry emails and phone calls prior to the appearance, and up until the last minute it seemed like they might cancel. During the taping the show had it’s only heckler in 11 years. The entire staff was very nervous and may come to regret the monumental decision (and not make it again) as they will surely be inundated now that the show has aired.
That is why it is CRUCIAL that the show receive letters of support from anyone who appreciated the interview.
PLEASE take a moment to give a quick thank you to the Daily Show. I’m sure they will likely be affected by numbers rather than length, so it’s OK to make it short, but spread the word to others! Be sure to put “Thank you” in the subject, and maybe Dr. Barghouti & my names. Fill out the form here: http://www.comedycentral.com/help/questionsCC.jhtml
(make sure to choose The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as your topic). You can also try calling 212-468-1700.
Many of you who watched the show on TV noticed that everything of real substance that I said was edited out. The major issues cut out were (1) the U.S. role in aiding Israel, (2) the lack of adequate coverage in mainstream U.S. media, and (3) the Palestinian-led movement for Boycott / Divestment / Sanctions (BDS) to nonviolently pressure Israel to comply with international law.
The full, un-cut interview is available on the Daily Show homepage http://www.thedailyshow. com and will eventually be moved to:
Part I: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-october-28-2009/exclusive—anna-baltzer— mustafa-barghouti-extended-interview-pt–1
Part I: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-october-28-2009/exclusive—anna-baltzer— mustafa-barghouti-extended-interview-pt–2
It’s worth watching and comparing with what they allowed said in the TV version.
Regardless of the cuts, this was a huge step for the movement (and Dr. Barghouti’s left-in parts were excellent, in my opinion). If you agree, do make your letters positive, even if you decide to mention the disappointing discrepancy between the full interview and what was aired.
I believe the interview wouldn’t have happened three years ago. Times are changing. Keep on keepin’ on…
Anna
PS. I launched a new version of my website in time for the show, in case you’re interested:
http://www.AnnaInTheMiddleEast.com
I don’t think this is small at all. We have to understand the pressures and recognize the amount of courage it must take for someone like Stewart, whose whole show relies on corporate munificence, to do something as career-destroying as this. Stewart needs to be supported. He has done this knowing very well that he has little to gain but plenty to loose from this. And he was also humble enough to admit his own hasbara when after the refugee question he said that’s how far his hebrew school education goes. As Anna notes, Zionists were attacking him even before he did the show. We need to be supporting him and encouraging him to go farther. It is obvious that his heart is in the right place.
I think Adam Horowitz captures it best:
“Here was a Palestinian leader demanding equal rights and an anti-Zionist Jew calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions to pressure Israel towards peace on The Daily Show and they were being applauded, while the traditional pro-Israel hasbara was being shown the door.”
Fahd, try this for the UK
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart/4od
Its only available for up to a few days after the broadcasting of each show but you should be able to view it in the UK.
If its uploaded on a video-sharing site, we’ll post the link. Anyone can post a youtube link here in the comments section here and we’ve enabled the video to play from the comment box.
I’m with Idrees. Huge rupture. Israel’s legitimacy is shot.
I’m not nearly as sanguine. Its a great first step, but israel’s illegitimacy in the current climate in the US is far from a fact, even within ‘progressive’ US and American Jewish circles, as we see with recent developments around J-Street. Here’s a thoughtful piece by Ahmed Moor that speaks to this issue:
http://tinyurl.com/yhvxcjk
I thought Anna and Mustafa were both excellent in those circumstances, their message pitched perfectly for an American and wider audience and for that type of show, but Jon Stewart was a different story. (Adam’s write-up at Mondoweiss is terrific, btw). A number of fellow Levantines are also wary about the misleading feel-good diversion this may represent — no time to break out the champagne bottle, particularly with Stewart’s responses.
Personally, I am happy for Anna that she is getting the recognition and platform she deserves for all of her hard work fighting for this cause.
I happened to be watching FSTV late one night last year, and I caught her “Life in Occupied Palestine” documentary, that to date, as far as anything I’ve seen, is the simplest, most basic introduction to the truth about this conflict. I was also struck by how calmly and coolly she was able to present the real story about what has been going on, without getting emotional.
And to be honest, I think that’s why if there was anyone to represent Pro-Palestinian advocacy (besides Dr. Barghouti of course) at such a defining moment like this, it was her. Excellent move by the Daily Show and I am very pleased that Viacom let this be aired. It takes incredible guts to overcome the influence of the lobby, which has arms everywhere, and get this information out there. Even if it was condensed on TV, people who visit the daily show site would still be able to see the rest.