Bassem Youssef Thinks Jon Stewart Is Wrong on Israel-Gaza—But Still Respects Him

Comedian Bassem Youssef has been widely known as “the Egyptian Jon Stewart” ever since he gave up being a heart surgeon and made himself into the premier political satirist of the Arab Spring. Now, more than a decade after that career transformation took place, Youssef has been back in the news thanks to his mega-viral interview with Piers Morgan and subsequent outspoken commentary against both Israel and President Joe Biden.

In this episode of The Last Laugh podcast, Youssef breaks down how he has used the darkest of humor to draw attention to the fate of the Palestinian people. He also shares his strong reaction to Jon Stewart’s recent take on the Israel-Gaza War, and reveals why he thinks it might be “too late” for Biden to win back the Arab American support he may well need to beat Donald Trump.

“It’s an honor,” Youssef says of the nickname that still follows him 12 years after Stewart first invited him to be a guest on The Daily Show. “I mean, Jon Stewart is someone who has been my idol, so to be linked to his name in any way is an honor, not something to shy away from.”

Read more at The Daily Beast.