Comments on: The Final “Cool Hour” http://blog.z-word.com/2008/11/the-final-cool-hour/ Commentary about Zionism, anti-Zionism, antisemitism and the conflict in the Middle East Mon, 21 May 2012 14:46:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5-RC1.1 By: shriber http://blog.z-word.com/2008/11/the-final-cool-hour/#comment-2043 shriber Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:36:10 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=509#comment-2043 "so what?" it means to me that it would be useful to consider why such a level headed idea hasn't been given more prominence in the debates about the Arab-Israeli conflict. “so what?”

it means to me that it would be useful to consider why such a level headed idea hasn’t been given more prominence in the debates about the Arab-Israeli conflict.

]]> By: Eamonn McDonagh http://blog.z-word.com/2008/11/the-final-cool-hour/#comment-2042 Eamonn McDonagh Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:08:18 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=509#comment-2042 so what? so what?

]]> By: shriber http://blog.z-word.com/2008/11/the-final-cool-hour/#comment-2041 shriber Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:39:35 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=509#comment-2041 “In his final post Fleischacker says, ‘I think it would be helpful now if both sides could see the conflict as in the end a tragedy, in a strict sense of that word. On one influential and insightful theory of tragedy - Hegel’s - it arises when one just claim confronts another (Hegel’s example is Antigone, which represents a clash between civic and familial duties where there is no real ‘villain’). ‘” This is had already been expressed by Amos Oz who had repeatedly said that: “AMOS OZ: Well, my definition of a tragedy is a clash between right and right. And in this respect, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a tragedy, a clash between one very powerful, very convincing, very painful claim over this land and another no less powerful, no less convincing claim. Now such a clash between right claims can be revolved in one of two manners. There's the Shakespeare tradition of resolving a tragedy with the stage hewed with dead bodies and justice of sorts prevails. But there is also the Chekhov tradition. In the conclusion of the tragedy by Chekhov, everyone is disappointed, disillusioned, embittered, heartbroken, but alive. And my colleagues and I have been working, trying...not to find the sentimental happy ending, a brotherly love, a sudden honeymoon to the Israeli-Palestinian tragedy, but a Chekhovian ending, which means clenched teeth compromise.” http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/jan-june02/oz_1-23.html I found this quote in a recent interview (2002) though I believe that I had read it much earlier in the 1980’s sometimes. “In his final post Fleischacker says,
‘I think it would be helpful now if both sides could see the conflict as in the end a tragedy, in a strict sense of that word. On one influential and insightful theory of tragedy - Hegel’s - it arises when one just claim confronts another (Hegel’s example is Antigone, which represents a clash between civic and familial duties where there is no real ‘villain’). ‘”

This is had already been expressed by Amos Oz who had repeatedly said that:

“AMOS OZ: Well, my definition of a tragedy is a clash between right and right. And in this respect, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a tragedy, a clash between one very powerful, very convincing, very painful claim over this land and another no less powerful, no less convincing claim.

Now such a clash between right claims can be revolved in one of two manners. There’s the Shakespeare tradition of resolving a tragedy with the stage hewed with dead bodies and justice of sorts prevails. But there is also the Chekhov tradition. In the conclusion of the tragedy by Chekhov, everyone is disappointed, disillusioned, embittered, heartbroken, but alive. And my colleagues and I have been working, trying…not to find the sentimental happy ending, a brotherly love, a sudden honeymoon to the Israeli-Palestinian tragedy, but a Chekhovian ending, which means clenched teeth compromise.”
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/jan-june02/oz_1-23.html

I found this quote in a recent interview (2002) though I believe that I had read it much earlier in the 1980’s sometimes.

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