It's good to talk
( 2003-09-12 11:06) (Guardian)
Even at the bloodiest times of the conflict in the Middle East a few
politicians on both sides of the divide have contrived to keep discreet channels
of communication open. Oddly, this has been less true of senior journalists and
editors. As restrictions on travel became more severe and attitudes became
polarised, so the normal exchange of journalistic information and ideas became
rarer.
That was the reason that 10 respected editors from Israel, Palestine and
Egypt came together in London this week. A dialogue - these days impossible
within their own region - took place over 48 hours in the centre of London under
the joint auspices of this newspaper and the Portland Trust.
One editor laid his cards on the table early on. He had not come all this
way, he announced, in order to have a bogus exercise in hand-holding and
peace-making. In truth, there was little chance of that. The news organisations
represented included papers of the left and right, including a monthly magazine
primarily aimed at Israelis living in settlements. But in place of hand-holding
there was something more valuable: two days of uninhibited, challenging and
revealing dialogue over much coffee, a certain amount of drink and a prodigious
number of cigarettes.
There was, of course, much vigorous disagreement. There were moments of
considerable tension - the news of the appalling suicide bomb in a Jerusalem
cafe set editors' mobile phones ringing in the middle of a joint dinner. There
was an interesting conversation with the prime minister and a fascinating
morning comparing notes with two experienced journalists on opposite sides of
the divide in Northern Ireland. There were also moments when it became apparent,
not only that there was much common ground, but that there was mutual surprise
at the extent of agreement. These were media professionals who had been starved
of channels of communication.
Peace did not break out. But 10 journalists left with a list of phone numbers
and email addresses. We hope and suspect it will be much used.
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