Saturday, October 29, 2011

Public Diplomacy: Suggested US-Israel conference

As the growing tension between the U.S. and Israel never ceases to end, despite hopeful intervals on the healing of the relationship, may I suggest that a think-tank with a public-diplomacy focus organize a symposium on the slightly provocative (perhaps politically incorrect, but I hope that would create an "honest" intellectual  buzz) topic:

"What's Israel Done for (to?) the United States?"

(Of course, there could be also be a session on "What's the United States Done for (to?)  Israel.")

The discussion on  this topic would, assuredly, bring the attention of the media -- and, perhaps, the public -- in both countries, leading, let us hope, to a more honest, constructive relation between the two countries.

1 comment:

restive5relic said...

JB - Do not neglect the possibility that this relationship, like many less than perfect marriages, survives only because the partners are still able to compartmentalize and indulge in multiple forms of denial, in order to avoid the permanent rupture which would inevitably follow any lapse into total candor. Some things cannot be fixed. Others surpass all understanding. That being said, such messy unions are not totally bereft of value, even if largely devoid of procreative, or any other, merit. In such affairs, whatever motivated the original pair bonding, the energy is now spent, and most of what is left is little more than mutually comforting habitual behavior.