In this week's reading response we learned about a friendship between two people, one from each end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I'm talking of course about Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said. Said, a Palestinian who had "the gift of conversation", and Barenboim, an Israeli became friends despite them being from cultures that are fighting all the time, due to their shared interest of peace.
My favorite part of the article is when we learn Said's point of view when asked about the biggest problems that he and Barenboim argue about. This are of conflict according to Said is about the historical accounts each side believes. While both Said and Barenboim believe in their own culture's version of what happened, Said is the only one of the two who presents a way of dealing with this issue. Said states that he knows that neither side is going to back down and admit the other is right, however, he believes that both sides should instead just recognize that their stories, like many other cultures across the world's stories, could either be true or false. The point is, that they should recognize and respect each others cultures while still being able to practice their own cultural values. It is only when one side is being persecuted or denied their rights that conflict begins.
So to wrap things up, I enjoyed this week's reading because it shed new light for me on the analysis of how this conflict could/should be handled, as well as learning about a great friendship made between the least likely candidates.
I agree with you Michael. Reading this article gave me new perspective when it comes to analyzing the conflict. I found it enlightening to read this dialogue between two people who are very different when it comes to their backgrounds, but they somehow grew to become great friends. I also think that Said is right when it comes to accepting each others histories. Once this happens (if ever) I think that it will be a good starting point for beginning to compromise.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I thought it was interesting the point you brought up about Edward Said being the one out of the friendship that looked for a solution. Daniel just simply gives music to the audience to open their minds to a new cultural dimension, not necessarily with the immediate intention of peace, while Edward Said gives proposals and propositions for the solution to problems faced by both sides.
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