by Sharelle Burt
October 1, 2024
Assume Ta-Nehisi stood his floor?
CBS Mornings host Tony Dokoupil is getting the side-eye on social media over some awkward questions concerning the Israeli-Palestinian battle towards writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, the Washington Submit stories.
Coates appeared on the CBS morning present on Sept. 30 to advertise his new e-book, “The Message,” which showcases Coates’s journey to the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution and the way his expertise heightened his criticism of “apartheid” in Israel.
Whereas sitting subsequent to co-hosts Gayle King and Nate Burleson, issues took a flip when Dokoupil mentioned that if he didn’t know the e-book was by Coates, he would suppose it was by an “extremist.” “If I took your identify out of it, took away the awards and the acclaim, took the duvet off the e-book, the publishing home goes away — the content material of that part wouldn’t be misplaced within the backpack of an extremist,” Dokoupil mentioned.
Coates instantly defended himself, saying that the passage in his e-book all the time comes from the angle of those that don’t have a voice. “I’ve requested repeatedly in my interviews whether or not there’s a single community mainstream group in America with a Palestinian-American viewer chief or correspondent who truly has a voice to articulate their a part of the world,” Coates responded.
“I’ve been a reporter for 20 years. The reporters of those that imagine extra sympathetically about Israel and its proper to exist don’t have an issue getting their voice out. However what I noticed in Palestine, what I noticed within the West Financial institution, what I noticed in Haifa in Israel, what I noticed within the South Hebron Hills, these have been the tales that I’ve not heard, and people have been the tales I used to be most occupied with.”
Regardless of a passionate response, the CBS correspondent continued to push towards Coates’ reasoning for not together with extra arguments from Israel’s perspective — resembling mentioning the terrorist assaults that resulted in “the little youngsters blown to bits.” “What’s it that notably offends you concerning the existence of a Jewish state that could be a Jewish secure place and never any of the opposite states on the market?” Dokoupil requested.
The revealed writer responded by saying it’s not a couple of Jewish state however extra so, “I’m offended by the concept of states constructed on ethnocracy, irrespective of the place they’re.”
Social media got here to Coates’ protection and mentioned that the morning host forgot for a minute that he’s a journalist and took on one other function. “Tony Dokoupil stopped being a journalist; grew to become political critic. His thoughts was made up that Ta-Nehisi Coates was motivated to undermine Israel in his e-book. Coates stored telling him, his focus was on the a long time of oppression on Palestinians. Not skilled,” @maynotbejoking mentioned.
Others celebrated the alternate. For the reason that dialog didn’t turn into heated, some social media customers highlighted the significance of the alternate. “I see nothing improper with it. Tony and Ta-Nehisi are clearly pals with nice respect for one another. I believe we might all be taught from each of them as to converse on a particularly delicate topic with a relaxed however agency resolve,” @gcoln wrote.
“All of us get irritated by journalists who ask softball questions; these weren’t.”
In response to the Day by day Mail, Coates has had his share of controversy relating to his revealed items. His memoir, Between the World and Me, was banned inside a number of South Carolina faculties after white college students claimed it made them “ashamed” of their race.
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