This, from Imshin, made me laugh out loud today. Particularly the part where Al-Aqsa Brigades commander Zakariya Zubeidi is quoted calling “Arik” Sharon “a real man”.
Zubeidi continued:
- When there was war in the Jenin (refugee) camp he [Sharon] came here to the headquarters himself. With a weapon, a helmet, everything. He was up front, like me. He killed us, yes, but I see him as a military commander. He
I am not sure what the laughter is all about.
Two nations fighting for most of the 20th
century over a miniscule piece of land, a very intractable conflict indeed, and one of the warriors expresses a measure of respect for another old and seasoned warrior. Somehow that is supposed to be funny to she who solves the hardest universal problems by typing her illuminated wisdom on a weblog.
David
I’m not sure how I feel about this dizzying pace of change in people’s perceptions of each other
Actually, I think people’s perceptions of those on the other side are very important, because a great deal of peacemaking depends on trust. One of the most hopeful signs I saw in the Sharm summit was the genuine respect and trust that Sharon and Abbas appeared to have for each other. That sort of relationship makes it possible to respond to “flare-ups” (as you put it) with restraint and maturity rather than hasty military action, and makes it much more likely that the cease-fire will hold. The idea of respect between old enemies in the Middle East is a very appealing one.