We are f***ing powerless: Jon Stewart mocks Obama’s visit to Jerusalem

WATCH as the Daily Show’s takes on U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent trip to Jerusalem & the failures of past American presidents on peace between Israel & the Palestinians.

 

Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show returned after two weeks off the air by poking fun at the outcome of President Barack Obama’s recent trip to Israel and the West Bank, and lamenting the failures of past U.S. presidents in the peace process.

A screen shot of Jon Stewart on the Daily Show.

A screen shot of Jon Stewart on the Daily Show.

Stewart mocked Obama’s Jerusalem speech, in which the president combined what Stewart described as “a stunning declaration of American support for Israel’s right to exist,” with a call for recognition of “the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, right to justice.”

“An American president sketching out a path to an Israeli state, to a Palestinian state, why did no one think of this sooner?” Stewart quipped.

He went on to show footage of former U.S. presidents making similar assertions, including Geroge W. Bush Jr. in 2007, Bill Clinton in 1998 and George W Bush Sr. in 1991, before shouting out “We are f***ng powerless,” and pulling out a one dollar bill with a talking George Washington also repeating the two-state message.

“The point is this: Talk is cheap, and we have done that for years, so call me when there is actually some diplomatic progress,” Stewart said, before lambasting Obama’s big success of the trip – brokering the reconciliation between Israel and Turkey, “two countries nobody knew were fighting.”

“Gee, I can’t wait to see what happens with the Bosnia and Denmark situation.”

Stewart rounded off the clip by going to Senior Middle East Correspondent Aasif Mandvi, who filled him in on the mood in the West Bank after the breakthrough in the peace talks – between Israel and Turkey.

 

View the original HAARETZ publication at: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/we-are-f-ing-powerless-jon-stewart-takes-aim-at-obama-s-israel-visit-1.511892