Jon Stewart Addresses ‘Self-Hating Jew’ Claims (Video)

‘Daily Show’ host says he can question Israel without being pro-Hamas

Jon Stewart indirectly addressed critics who have accused him of turning his back on his Jewish background by criticizing Israel’s latest attacks on Hamas.

Each time Stewart said “Israel” at the start of Monday’s “Daily Show,” his team of correspondents surrounded and screamed at him. Each verbal barrage ended with Jordan Klepper delivering a parting shot. At one point he called Stewart a “self-hating Jew.”

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That insult was a heightened version of the criticism Stewart received after talking about Israel and Hamas last week. Conservative talk-show host Mark Levin, who is Jewish, noted that Stewart has made jokes about the Holocaust and had changed his last name from Leibowitz.

“I despise the self-haters, I really do. I despise them,” Levin said Wednesday, adding that he doesn’t “trust Jews who change their names.”

The running joke of Monday’s segment was Stewart’s reluctance to say anything about Israel, for fear of inciting more criticism. But he did manage one sincere point.
“Look, obviously there are many strong opinions on this issue. But just merely mentioning Israel or questioning in any way the effectiveness or humanity of Israel’s policies is not the same thing as being pro-Hamas,” he said.

At that, Klepper called Stewart a “Zionist pig.””You know what,” Stewart said, crumpling up his notes. “Why don’t we talk about something lighter, like … Ukraine?”

Watch the video:

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