Jon Stewart opens his third returning episode. daily show This week he was scheduled to address the Israel-Hamas war, noting that his first two episodes had sparked controversy. And during the monologue, Stewart offered serious ideas for resolving the crisis.
First, the host delved into the current situation in which Israel is bombing the Gaza Strip as part of its efforts to eradicate Hamas following the surprise attack by the terrorist group Hamas on October 7. Stewart criticized Israel, which has come under widespread criticism for a campaign that has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths and widespread hardship, particularly in the Gaza Strip.
“Do you plan to eliminate Hamas by destroying all of Gaza?” Stuart said. “[Hamas is] idea. Is there a bomb that kills your idea? I mean, how long does it take to bomb an idea?”
“‘Could you please be more careful when you bomb?’” Stewart mocked the Biden administration’s pressure on Israel to be more careful. That's good advice. But couldn't America say that to Israel when we gave them all the bombs? They are our bombs! It’s like a coke dealer coming in with an eight ball and saying, ‘Don’t stay up all night.’”
As for Hamas, Stewart played a video of the group's leader declaring that Israel “must be eliminated.”
“So neither Israel, the United States, the United Nations nor the Arab countries appear to be incentivized to stop the suffering of innocent people in the region,” Stewart concluded.
Stuart then presented his own plan for regional peace. Well, Stewart actually proposed three plans, but the first two were jokes. His third idea was serious and went as follows. “Oh my gosh, I actually think this last idea might work. From now on there are no preconditions, no trust, no partners for peace. Israel stops bombing and Hamas releases hostages. Arab countries, which claim Palestine as their top priority, move in and form a demilitarized zone between Israel and the Free State of Palestine. Saudi Arabia's Egypt, UAE, Qatar, Jordan, etc. are all part of a NATO agreement that guarantees security for both sides. Obviously they won't call it NATO. This is the Middle East Treaty Organization (METO). Obviously, I haven't figured out the exact words, but there's nothing better than the cluster cycle we have right now. Honestly, what is the alternative?”
Stewart then invited two Middle East experts who agreed that his idea had merit but detailed the complexities and difficulties of such a proposal.
Stuart is back again daily show Over the course of three weeks (running every Monday until the presidential election), his first episode garnered the late night show's highest ratings in years.