As long as there is life (and humor), there is hope!

When the Western media address the political situation in the Middle East, thesy tend to focus on Palestinian terrorists, the living conditions in their camps or the occupied territories on the one hand, or on the military actions taken by Tsahal against Palestinian terrorists and on the colonies, whether to be evacuated or that are being created. And in the middle of all this, there is, of course, the wall being built by the Israelis. Basically, they constantly talk about what separates Israelis and Palestinians. And, according to this American Palestinian humorist, Ray Hanania, these topics are, unfortunately, also often the only center of the conversations among the individuals from these two people. But why does one have to always talk about what separates them? Why can't one also talk about what they have in common? He asks along a growing number of people concerned with the political situation in the Middle-East. In an article about "Things Palestinians and Israelis share", he notes, for example, that in both cultures it is common to have over-protectives mothers, to enjoy too much good food (obesity seems to be a common plague), to blame everyone else for their problems and to act against the most obvious common sense, even when it is dancing naked in front of their eyes, because of a propensity to extreme emotionality that leads to total irrationality. He cites a particularly funny and ironic parable that illustrates perfectly the absurdity of some aspects of the conflict between these two people:

The scorpion asks the frog to give him a ride across the lake
(which symbolizes peace). The frog says sure, but cautions, “I trust you won’t
sting me because we will both drown.” Halfway across, the scorpion stings
the frog and before they both die, the shocked frog asks why? The scorpion,
not very creatively, replies, “Because this is the Middle East.”

The only problem with that story, of course, is that we both think we’re the frog.

I think it is plain clear and doesn't need much more comment!