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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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