John Oliver Addresses Israel-Hamas War in Somber ‘Last Week Tonight’ Opening

Like other late-night hosts and this week’s Saturday Night Live host, Pete Davidson, Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver opened his most recent episode by acknowledging the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. “Before the music and the lights, and at least theoretically, the laughter,” Oliver began, “I wanted to briefly talk to you about what has clearly been a terrible week.”

For five minutes before the show’s title card appeared, Oliver addressed “the immense suffering in Israel and Gaza,” noting that it “has been sickening to watch.” He continued, “We’re not going to be covering it in the main body of our show tonight for a couple of reasons. First, it’s horrific. I don’t really want to tell jokes about carnage right now. And I’m pretty sure that you don’t want to hear them. And second, we’re taping this on Saturday afternoon. And you’ll be watching it Sunday night—or Monday morning through an illegal VPN; I do know who I am talking to.”

Although “a lot could change” between when the episode was filmed and its airing, Oliver offered “a few broad thoughts” that had “to do with sorrow, fear, and anger.” The late-night host said that “sorrow is the first and most overwhelming feeling,” because “the images we’ve seen this week from last Saturday onward have been totally heartbreaking—thousands now dead in Israel and Gaza. It would be devastating, not just to those in the region, but to diaspora communities across the world.” He added, “Whatever thoughts you have about the history of this region or the current state of affairs—and I’ve shared mine on this show in the past—it should be impossible to see grieving families and not be moved.”

Oliver then expressed his anger over how the conflict has been handled. “I don’t know where things stand in Gaza as you watch this right now,” he again noted. “But all signs seem to be pointed toward a humanitarian catastrophe. Israeli officials announced plans to cut off food, water, fuel and power. Hospitals are running on generators. This has all the appearances of collective punishment, which is a war crime. And I think many Israelis and Palestinians are feeling justifiable anger right now, not just at Hamas, whose utterly heinous terrorist acts set this week’s events in motion, but also at the zealots and extremists across the board who consistently thwarted attempts at peace over the years. Israelis and Palestinians have been let down by their leadership time and time again. And I don’t have a great deal of faith in the leaders currently in charge to steer us toward peace.”

He then grew slightly emotional, adding, “But I do still have some hope. Because the easiest thing in the world, after a week like this, is to engage in bloodthirsty rhetoric. But I will say, I’ve been struck by the many ordinary citizens, Israeli and Palestinian, who’ve called for restraint this week, and not revenge.”

He then played a clip of Noy Katsman, whose brother was killed by Hamas terrorism, telling CNN’s Jake Tapper in a live interview that they hoped for an end to bloodshed.

“People want and are entitled to peace, and I’m not going to tell either side how to get it—certainly not in this [British] accent, which has frankly done enough damage in that particular region to last a fucking lifetime,” Oliver concluded. “But just know in the long term, all the people who want to live in that region are going to keep living there. So peace is not optional and will require some tough decisions. And I can’t say where a peace process ends, but it just has to start with that kind of ability to recognize our common humanity.”