Meyers, Stewart Rail Against 'U.S. Complicity' In Gaza War

Alex Christy
July 29th, 2025 10:19 AM

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War is a nasty business, which is why it is advised that starting one with a country much stronger than you is a bad idea, but for Comedy’s Central’s Monday host of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart, and NBC’s Late Night host Seth Meyers, outrage is better directed at the United States because we are supposedly complicit in Israeli war crimes.

Stewart welcomed progressive columnist Peter Beinart to discuss his new book, Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza, and asked, “I know what I am seeing, and I have a moral clarity about what I am seeing, and what I am seeing, I think, as someone who was raised in Judaism, that's what taught me that this is wrong… But what happens when David becomes Goliath? And the responsibility there—is that what troubles you?”

 

 

Beinart naturally agreed, “Yeah. I mean, our responsibility is to remember, is to remember what was done to us, to remember what we would have wanted people around the world—I'm not saying that what is happening in Gaza is the equivalent of the Holocaust or anything like that, but what is happening is bad enough.”

Later, Stewart declared, “How do we get past those conversations with fellow Jewish people? Like, it's been—I feel like it has been shut down. That they—they’re horrified by things that I would say about the injustice of it all. And I feel like I don't know how to talk to even friends of mine that have gone there—and I imagine they feel the same way about me. But there is an urgency about it now, because, like, right now in this situation, we can't be like ‘The Jews are not getting along with other Jews’—like, that’s not the important thing.

He then wondered, “How is the world not stepping in and stopping this atrocity? I don't understand this in any way, shape, or form. It’s boggling my mind.”

Beinart whined:

It is worse than not just stepping in. It’s our weapons that are enforcing the siege, that is enforcing this mass starvation. In November of 2024, something like eight months ago, the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu for the war crime of starvation, right? Eight months ago! The United States responded by trashing the International Criminal Court, even under Biden, and under Trump, imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court, and so the message to Israel was very clear. You can get away with worse. For almost three months in early this year, Israel cut off all food, all medicine, all water into the Gaza Strip.

After Stewart labeled the situation “a siege,” Beinart added, “Yes, that we are deeply complicit in. It could not happen without us.”

 

 

The problem for Stewart and Beinart is that to Israeli Jews who know Israeli history did not begin in 1967, they look hopelessly naive.

Nevertheless, later on NBC, Meyers sang the same tune. After talking about Jeffrey Epstein-related things, Meyers teed up a clip of President Trump, “But somehow none of those comments ended up being the most shocking or disgusting thing Trump said in Scotland. Because he was asked about the horrific atrocities in Gaza, where the government of Benjamin Netanyahu has been blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid, and causing mass starvation with U.S. complicity. And Trump's main concern was that no one was being nice to him.”

After a clip of Trump lamenting nobody said thank you for $60 million in food aid, Meyers retorted, “So many responses you could go with first. ‘We need to feed the children.’ ‘We need to end the killing.’ ‘We need a ceasefire and to free the hostages.’ But only Trump could respond with, [Trump Voice] ‘Ahem—does anyone have anything to say to me?’”

 

 

Would the third option really have satisfied Meyers? If so, then he should be doing this “Closer Look” segment on Hamas because the U.S. recently withdrew its negotiating teams because Hamas refuses to negotiate in good faith.

Still, Meyers teed up another clip, “I just want to pause to say this is a comedy show, and I know a lot of people are going to say, 'Why are you talking about this? Just make jokes.' And we try every day. We try. But we are also human beings, and we are appalled by the unspeakable horrors currently unfolding in Gaza, and our government is complicit, which is why we have a duty as Americans to speak out on a horrific crisis that has been foreseeable for a long time, as Senator Bernie Sanders explained months ago.”

After the clip of Sanders accusing the U.S. of being complicit in war crimes, Meyers approvingly observed, “Bernie is right, and I appreciate his moral clarity. He has a way of cutting through the BS that few others have.”

Bernie is wrong. Israel’s critics accuse it of not delivering aid, but when it does, it still gets criticized.

 

 

Here are transcripts for the July 28 shows:

Comedy  Central The Daily Show

7/28/2027

11:27 PM ET

JON STEWART: But I know what I am seeing, and I have a moral clarity about what I am seeing, and what I am seeing, I think, as someone who was raised in Judaism, that is what taught me that this’s wrong. What I am seeing happening in Gaza is wrong. You know, we learn in Judaism, it is funny, you know, you learn that you're the underdog. That is kind of the history.

PETER BEINART: Right, right.

STEWART: You know, I always looked at the chosen people as kind of awry, you know, when you read the history of the Jews, you’re like, “You’re the chosen people,” and you want to say to God, like, “If you could choose someone else.”

But what happens when David becomes Goliath? And the responsibility there — is that what troubles you?

BEINART: Yeah. I mean, our responsibility is to remember, is to remember what was done to us, to remember what we would have wanted people around the world — I'm not saying that what is happening in Gaza is the equivalent of the Holocaust or anything like that, but what is happening is bad enough.

…

STEWART: How do we get past those conversations with fellow Jewish people? Like, it's been — I feel like it has been shut down. That they—they’re horrified by things that I would say about the injustice of it all. And I feel like I don't know how to talk to even friends of mine that have gone there — and I imagine they feel the same way about me. But there is an urgency about it now, because, like, right now in this situation, we can't be like "The Jews are not getting along with other Jews"— like, that’s not the important thing.

BEINART: Right. Absolutely. Right.

STEWART: How is the world not stepping in and stopping this atrocity? I don't understand this in any way, shape, or form. It’s boggling my mind.

BEINART: It is worse than not just stepping in. It’s our weapons that are enforcing the siege, that is enforcing this mass starvation. In November of 2024, something like eight months ago, the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu for the war crime of starvation, right?

STEWART: Eight months ago.

BEINART: Eight months ago! The United States responded by trashing the International Criminal Court, even under Biden, and under Trump, imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court,and so the message to Israel was very clear. You can get away with worse. For almost three months in early this year, Israel cut off all food, all medicine, all water into the Gaza Strip.

STEWART: It is a siege. It is a military siege.

BEINART: Yes, that we are deeply complicit in. It could not happen without us. 

***

NBC Late Night with Seth Meyers

7/29/2025

12:50 AM ET

MEYERS: But somehow none of those comments ended up being the most shocking or disgusting thing Trump said in Scotland. Because he was asked about the horrific atrocities in Gaza, where the government of Benjamin Netanyahu has been blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid, and causing mass starvation with U.S. complicity. And Trump's main concern was that no one was being nice to him.

REPORTER: Should Israel be doing more to allow food into Gaza?

DONALD TRUMP: But, you know, we gave $60 million two weeks ago, and nobody even acknowledged it. For food. And — it's terrible. You really at least want to have somebody say, "Thank you."

MEYERS: So many responses you could go with first. “We need to feed the children.” “We need to end the killing.” “We need a ceasefire and to free the hostages.” But only Trump could respond with, [Trump Voice] "Ahem — does anyone have anything to say to me?" 

Like a DoorDash driver looking for a rating. Now, I just want to pause to say this is a comedy show, and I know a lot of people are going to say, “Why are you talking about this? Just make jokes.” And we try every day. We try. But we are also human beings, and we are appalled by the unspeakable horrors currently unfolding in Gaza, and our government is complicit, which is why we have a duty as Americans to speak out on a horrific crisis that has been foreseeable for a long time, as Senator Bernie Sanders explained months ago.

BERNIE SANDERS: Today it is 31 days and counting with absolutely no humanitarian aid getting into Gaza. Nothing. No food, no water, no medicine, no fuel, for over a month. That is a clear violation of the Geneva Convention, the Foreign Assistance Act, and basic human decency. It is a war crime. You don't starve children. [Jump Cut] We are deeply complicit in all of this death and suffering.

MEYERS: Bernie is right, and I appreciate his moral clarity. He has a way of cutting through the BS that few others have.

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