Ta-Nehisi Coates: I Was Told Palestine Was Complicated. Visiting Revealed a Simple, Brutal Truth

Support our work: As the war on Gaza enters its second year and Israel expands its attacks on Lebanon, we speak with the acclaimed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. His new book The Message is based in part on his visit last year to Israel and the occupied West Bank, where he says he saw a system of segregation and oppression reminiscent of Jim Crow in the United States. “It was revelatory,“ says Coates. “I don’t think the average American has a real sense of what we’re doing over there — and I emphasize ’what we’re doing’ because it’s not possible without American support.“ Watch Part 1 of this interview: Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET. Subscribe to our Daily Email Digest: