Idiots Anonymous

You may be shocked to learn that I am sometimes capable of optimism. Considering I’ve been little more than a snide, self-satisfied wank for since time immemorial (as far as you’re probably concerned) I guess that is a little surprising, but believe me, it’s nowhere near as far fetched as you think. It’s just rare that in a world dominated by tragedy and drama that you come across something positive that isn’t a token cute animal story. So hey, why waste the opportunity?

In case you’re unaware, Israel and Palestine are in a bit of a bitchfight, wherein catty blondes are actually armed militant forces, the mutual boyfriend is the Gaza Strip, among so many other territories, the inclusive happy slaps are live ammunition, and my metaphor is wearing thin. My point is that it’s a war-torn region, and it’s been that way for longer than I can remember.

It’s justifiable, then, to suggest that one side genuinely hates the other, and vice versa. Which is what makes this story so amazing.

Still better than the Melbourne Demons, somehow.

The Peres Centre for Peace, founded by current Israeli president Shimon Peres, aims to bridge that gap, and start to mend the bridges burned by so many years of warfare. It’s a noble cause, which really doesn’t get much press around these parts. The only news that ever comes through about that entire region comes in the form of a disconnected death statistic which is as approximate as it is insulting. I guess the nature of this beast makes it reportable, though. Hence why I found out about it.

The Australian Football League has sponsored an “AFL Peace Team”, comprised of both young Palestinians and Israelis, to compete in the International Cup later this month. The cynic in me brushes this off as a token attempt to weasel in on a good cause, but for the sake of optimism let’s look past that for a moment.

These are guys who, in any other circumstance, would probably be trading bullets. But to hear them speak so glowingly of their team-mates and of the overall experience was an incredible thing to witness. Not because I thought it was impossible, but because it seemed so implausible given the obvious barrier of prejudice and hatred that must have come along for the ride like carry-on luggage.

Sure, they’re probably rubbish at AFL, which, by the way, would give us something in common. But who cares? It’s not about how good they are, but rather about the fact that these people can enjoy, even if only briefly, a moment of true peace. For us it’s cheesy sentiment to be shown in news bulletins: for them it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and I think it would be cheap of me to play it down.

Ultimately I think it proves that deep down, we’re all very decent, reasonable people. The wants and needs of an evil, misdirected few have us fighting wars we never chose to wage, and the price is paid not in dollars and cents, but innocent lives. Strip away the bullshit and you’re left with people who have the capacity to be good friends — best friends.

To say that our culture wars divide us beyond any hope of unity is an illusion, and it’s something that I think we all need to wake up to. Some people just need to swallow their egos and kick a footy around.