Hi Duchess,
I've been sitting on the side lines awhile - see you've been busy!
Your writing is refreshing; you have a gift with words, and are clearly an accomplished writer.
The introduction of the Israeli / Arab conflict into this discussion stirred many memories. In the '90s I was the head of a government research organisation, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and in that capacity I had professional contact with both the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, as well as the Jordanian Royal Scientific Society. It was quite a tightrope relationship! Travelling to Tel Aviv from Amman was impossible, you had to fly via London or Paris from one to the other!
But the point I want to make was that during non-working hours, e.g. during a trip to Masada or Petra respectively, there was lots of opportunity to talk informally about their hopes and fears.
Unfortunately, I often left these discussions with a sense of futility, that there was no hope of the two sides ever seeing eye-to-eye.
Very sad.
Somebody said once that if you understand the Israeli-Palestinian situation, you are misinformed...
:'(
Originally posted by CalJustThats the best put down I have seen in many years that does not sound like one. You are a topclass diplomat.
Hi Duchess,
I've been sitting on the side lines awhile - see you've been busy!
Your writing is refreshing; you have a gift with words, and are clearly an accomplished writer.
The introduction of the Israeli / Arab conflict into this discussion stirred many memories. In the '90s I was the head of a government research organisation, the Council for Sc ...[text shortened]... id once that if you understand the Israeli-Palestinian situation, you are misinformed...
:'(
The post that was quoted here has been removedHi Duchess,
Nothing that I said was meant as a put-down; I have no idea where Raj gets that from.
That bit about being misinformed could also be said about the Irish Catholic/Protestant conflict, which was thought unsolvable, but it seems they sorted it out.
A comment I got many times from the Israeli side was that they would not mind giving back occupied land for peace, because they want to live in a Jewish state - even though most Jews are totally irreligious. But that was in the 1990s.
On the other hand, I found no Palestinian who was prepared to talk about peace and coexistence - they would give their life to get the land back.
That's why I said that it makes me very said, I still have friends and colleagues on both sides, but can see no hope of ever achieving reconciliation.
In South Africa we did achieve peace, but it took a Nelson Mandela to lead us there. Where is the NM of the Middle East?
Originally posted by CalJustSee? You are a natural diplomat 🙂
Hi Duchess,
Nothing that I said was meant as a put-down; I have no idea where Raj gets that from.
That bit about being misinformed could also be said about the Irish Catholic/Protestant conflict, which was thought unsolvable, but it seems they sorted it out.
A comment I got many times from the Israeli side was that they would not mind giving back oc ...[text shortened]... chieve peace, but it took a Nelson Mandela to lead us there. Where is the NM of the Middle East?