Mustafa Barghouti and Anna Baltzer on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Say, what? A serious subject like equal rights for Palestinians on a high traffic mainstream US comedy show like the excellent Jon Stewart? On prime time US TV? This isn't just another media crack, it looks more like cracking the media.

Unfortunately the resulting video isn't available for viewing in this country (the UK), so frustratingly I can't watch it. If you're based in the US you can watch it here. Unfortunately the Horowitz post doesn't provide a transcript (which probably wouldn't do the event any justice). Here's part of his impression:

I don’t want to recount the whole interview, you can watch it. I have to say, I was blown away. Although I was laughing out loud for the first two segments, I was on the verge of tears throughout the interview. Here was a Palestinian leader demanding equal rights and an anti-Zionist Jew calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions to pressure Israel towards peace on The Daily Show and they were being applauded, while the traditional pro-Israel hasbara was being shown the door.

Palestinian equal rights was placed directly next to health care and the economy on The Daily Show’s progressive agenda and the audience was totally along for the ride. I could hardly believe my eyes, and yet it made perfect sense at the same time. Who can argue that it is necessary to deny people water? Who can argue against equal rights? The answer is increasingly no one, and if The Daily Show’s audience is any indication, the next generation will be leading this fight in a much different direction.