American writer, journalist and activist Ta-Nehisi Coates has been praised for defending his pro-Palestine position in the latest round of interviews with prominent US media. Coates faced what many said was an "aggressive" and "hostile" interview with CBS journalist Tony Dokoupil, who had accused the renowned author of using his latest book, 'The Message', to call for the dismantling of Israel. Coates and Dokoupil spent almost seven minutes debating the book during his interview on 'CBS Mornings' on Monday. Coates was praised for asserting his concerns over the Israeli occupation and the discrimination of the Palestinian people while also noting the lack of Palestinian voices in American media. "Israel does exist, it's a fact, the question of its right is not a question that I would be faced with any other country," Coates told Dokoupil. "No country in this world establishes its ability to exist through rights, countries establish their ability to exist through force, as America did." When asked why Coates was supposedly offended by "the existence of a Jewish state", the author responded: "There's nothing that offends me about a Jewish state. I am offended by the idea of states built on ethnocracy, no matter where they are." Users online criticised Dokoupil's line of questioning while praising Coates for how he handled it. Viewers also noted the stark difference between Coates' interview with CBS and his interview with Jon Stewart on 'The Daily Show', as per this video. Stewart, who is Jewish and has been vocal on Palestinian rights, praised Coates for trying to delve into the occupation, and they spoke about the author's experience in Palestine and the comparisons of the Jim Crow laws and what is happening "right now" in the region. Both also spoke about understanding the fears and the humiliation of the Holocaust and the idea of "never again" and never wanting to be in that position again.Â
