On May 18, Parts Unknown host Anthony Bourdain accepted the Voice of Courage and Conscience Media Award from the Muslim Public Affairs Council. The award was given for Bourdain's "Jerusalem" episode, which aired on CNN on Sep. 15, 2013.
My review of the episode (see Sep. 16, 2013, blog post) was tepid. In general, the show endeavored a balance that only threatens to further the common American misunderstanding that the conflict is between two roughly equal parties that "can't get along." Nevertheless, in the context of mainstream treatment, the episode was a step forward.
Bourdain's brief acceptance speech, on the other hand, made a bigger step. The humanization of the Palestinians helps facilitate a shift in the popular imagination. The more this improves, the more difficult it becomes for Washington to maintain its policies toward the Palestine-Israel issue. With celebrities, who can effortlessly reach a large audience, it requires only a few sentences.
