Especially when the purpose of leaving the city is to attend a fascinating literary conference of Arab and Jewish writers called "Voices from Two Sides of the Bridge."
On the left is Etgar Keret, one of Israel's most popular young authors; on the right is Samir El-Youssef, a Palestinian author who grew up in Lebanon and now lives in London. Etgar and Samir met at a literary conference in Europe, became friends, and co-authored a collection of short stories called Gaza Blues. Their friendship and their writing reflects their shared belief that the human connection is more important than politics. Both abhor victimization, because it dehumanizes; both write about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in terms of its absurdity. For more on Gaza Blues and Samir and Etgar's philosophies, read this review.
During the lunch break the 200-odd people who attended the event - Arabs, Jews, Europeans, editors, journalists, writers - shmoozed while sitting outdoors under the unusually warm winter sunshine.
So perhaps there is hope for the future of this region, and it's not all....
