Jon Stewart Snaps Over Gaza

Jon Stewart has hit out at Joe Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war in a scathing monologue, accusing the government of lacking "courage."

On Monday night's episode of The Daily Show, Stewart compared the Biden administration's reaction to the Ukraine war to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began six months ago.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 240 more as hostages. Israel declared war on Hamas, which is based in the neighboring Gaza Strip.

Israel fired airstrikes into Gaza, before cutting off supplies of food, fuel, energy and medicine into the territory. A ground offensive was launched into Gaza in late October.

According to The Associated Press, citing cited Gaza's health ministry, 33,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and soldiers in its death count, but says that women and children make up the majority of the deceased.

"As the war has grinded on, justice is beginning to seem more like cruelty," Stewart said. "But not to worry, America, the shining city on a hill, is on the case."

The comedian then cut to footage of Biden addressing reporters in Warsaw, Poland, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"We have a great battle for freedom between a rules-based order and one governed by brute force," the president told the crowd. "In this battle, we need to be clear-eyed."

In response to the clip, Stewart said: "Just to clarify, we're the freedom folks, we're the rules people. We're not the brute force ones.

"I think we all know who the brute force ones are. In this case, Vladimir [Putin]."

"Know that America will call you out when you violate the basic tenets of humanity," Stewart continued, before jumping to a video of Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"Weaponizing food, using it as a tool, as a weapon in its war against Ukraine, is unconscionable," Blinken said during a press conference in July 2023.

In March, international aid charity Oxfam said 1.1 million people in Gaza were experiencing catastrophic food insecurity, roughly half of the area's 2.3 million population.

"There is a literal famine in Gaza caused by the war," Stewart said. "I assume America will also consider this unconscionable."

The 61-year-old then skipped to a clip of John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, telling reporters during a White House media briefing: "Absolutely we're concerned [about the famine in Gaza]. No question about it."

"Well, you can't spell unconscionable without concern," Stewart quipped. "Or at least part of it."

He then lambasted Israel's alleged treatment of the free press—and the Biden administration's response—jumping to a video of White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemning the "Russian government's continued targeting and repression of journalists" in March 2023.

"I think you all know what's coming next," Stewart joked. " A new Israeli law says they can ban media outlets they consider a threat."

The host then cut to footage of Jean-Pierre describing the move as "concerning."

"Oh we're concerned again," Stewart said sarcastically. "How about if it's true, we condemn it?"

He then jumped to a clip of Biden meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in September.

"The entire world has a stake in making sure that no nation, no aggressor, is allowed to take a neighbor's territory by force," Biden told the room, promising to continue in aiding Ukraine.

"The American people will never waver in our commitment to those values."

"Eh, ish," Stewart said. "You might say Israel's war is different to Ukraine's. Israel is responding to an attack and a hostage crisis.

"But in the midst of that, they pulled a little something in the West Bank on March 22 that might be notable."

The comedian was referring to Israel claiming almost 2,000 acres (800 hectares) of land in the West Bank for settlement use. Along with Israel and the Gaza Strip, the West Bank makes up the Israel-occupied territories and is home to roughly 3 million Palestinians. The announcement was made during Blinken's last visit to Israel.

"That's not even Gaza, that's the West Bank," Stewart said. "You can't say it has anything to do with defending yourself against Hamas. Let's see if America upholds its rule against taking land."

In the next clip, Blinken tells journalists during a briefing at Tel Aviv airport: "I haven't seen the specifics of this, but anyone taking steps that make things, more challenging this time, that's something we have a problem with."

"They did it the day you f****** visited," Stewart continued, asking "Why do we tiptoe around on eggshells."

"They slap America in the face, and our response is 'Well, if anyone slapped us in the face, it would be concerning.'"

Getting more and more exasperated, Stewart said: "The verbal gymnastics that the American government must undertake not to offend the delicate sensibilities of a country we provide most of the weapons for is, yah."

"Every time America tells the world there's something we won't allow, Israel seems to say 'Challenge accepted."

"Are they willfully trying to provoke us?" he asked, before criticizing the civilian death toll in Gaza.

During a media briefing in December, Kirby said the U.S. was urging Israel to be "as precise and careful as possible [in their targeting]."

Stewart accused Israel of "not listening," adding: "What the f*** are we doing here?"

"The subtext of all this is, America knows this is wrong, but it apparently doesn't seem to have the courage to say it in a straightforward manner," Stewart said while concluding the segment.

"America and Israel both know that you cannot bomb your way into safety. Real friends take the f****** keys, because friends don't let friends bomb that much."

Newsweek has reached out to Stewart and the White House for comment via email.

This isn't the first time that Stewart has criticized Israel on The Daily Show. In February, the Emmy winner described Israel's peace plan a "military siege," after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed demilitarizing Gaza and controlling the area's entryways and exits.

He also slammed Biden's Israel policy in January, accusing the president of describing "Israel's incessant bombing of civilians the same way my mother talks about the Super Bowl Halftime Show."