'Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down' - Simon & Garfunkel sing in the aptly named title song from the seventies. Could they please make a double act as couples' therapists for the Israelis and the Palestinians? The conflict in the Middle East goes back even further than the famous S & G song, so the song stays ever relevant. The message is to build bridges - more so than houses. If S & G could kindly have honourable Benjamin Netanyahu talk to his people in the back country about the brick building - and have honourable Mahmoud Abbas talk to his people in the back country about the stone throwing. Perhaps we could use the left over stones and bricks to build a bridge. It may take a huge one to overcome some forty years of troubled water. And then, perhaps we would have Pontifex Maximus - or Obama - swing by for a visit?
The editor-in-chief confronted several people that represented minor challenges and one person to mark a major challenge in an old grudge several times over the past few years in order to build bridges over troubled water in own back yard. As the first minor challenges went well, hope was there for the major challenge as well. But the invitation to bridge building here only harvested the sad responses that such a meeting couldn't take place under neutral circumstances, and with continued postponings due to scheduling issues over the past year. But at least the editor-in-chief tried her best. Even so without a couples' therapist, but with a sound mind and a strong belief in bridge building. Which paradoxically will stay the same and as strong.
For further information, please see:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/10/biden.mideast/index.html?hpt=Sbin
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8561441.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/11/palestinian-peace-snub
The editor-in-chief confronted several people that represented minor challenges and one person to mark a major challenge in an old grudge several times over the past few years in order to build bridges over troubled water in own back yard. As the first minor challenges went well, hope was there for the major challenge as well. But the invitation to bridge building here only harvested the sad responses that such a meeting couldn't take place under neutral circumstances, and with continued postponings due to scheduling issues over the past year. But at least the editor-in-chief tried her best. Even so without a couples' therapist, but with a sound mind and a strong belief in bridge building. Which paradoxically will stay the same and as strong.
For further information, please see:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/10/biden.mideast/index.html?hpt=Sbin
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8561441.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/11/palestinian-peace-snub