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Thu, Feb 03, 2011 | Dry Bones Blog | By Yaakov Kirschen

The Middle East Election Motel

Here in Israel, we are seeing idealistic and optimistic Egyptians being interviewed by Israeli reporters at demonstrations in Cairo. I couldn’t understand why those inspiring and pro-democracy interviews seemed both familiar and sad.

And then it hit me. 1984. The barrier between Israel and Lebanon had been replaced by a “Good Fence” gate. Lebanese citizens flooded into Israel. We saw idealistic and optimistic Lebanese being interviewed by Israeli reporters. We were all thrilled with the prospects for peace and real change. But I remember one depressing interview. A Lebanese schoolteacher said that he was visiting Israel while it was “still” possible to do so.

The "Good Fence" - 1984

The Good Fence is now a barrier between Israel and the forces of Hezbollah, the Islamist Iranian puppet in Lebanon.