The Blogs: Doing it with style

Despite the valiant efforts of Mr. Kerry, I can see very little hope for an end to hostilities between Israelis and Palestinians. And that’s not good.

The twin narratives are still there, much the same as ever; the positions taken are those well known to one and all and the distance that separates the two sides appears to be just as wide as before. And it must get progressively wider as each day passes without the prospect of even a partial remedy or resolution.

For the peace process to advance far enough to do some real good, each narrative must be allowed to continue but ideally with one in tandem with the other and not as rivals in some fruitless quest for validation or supremacy. Only by having them merge together can a common bond evolve from a relationship so diametrically opposed that it has remained virtually unchanged and unchallenged for 66 long years.

If the destinies and dreams of both Israelis and Palestinians were to be somehow inextricably linked to the actions (or reactions) of those violent elements in their midst, then such a circumstance might well ensure that a form of peace soon arrives upon the scene. And this despite the persistence of that same animosity that has been there between them from the very beginning.

If peace can somehow be used as a weapon in its own right rather than viewed as a distant and possibly unattainable object, then such a variation in standard procedure might easily produce results far better that those awaiting us right now, courtesy of the redoubtable Mr.Kerry. And these results would be far more in keeping with an earnest desire to achieve a real and equitable peace. They would also endow the process with a not inconsiderable amount of style, a quality sadly lacking in every one of all the previous attempts to settle this matter.