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Sharing power in Ireland

If archenemies can cooperate in Ireland, the same can happen in Mideast

Does the hatred between the hawkish parties in Northern Ireland fall below the hatred and hostility prevalent in other conflicts worldwide – let's say our conflict with the Palestinians for example? Absolutely not.

 

The Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland have a long history of hostility, which dates back to the 16th century and continues to this very day despite the Good Friday Agreement signed between the parties eight years ago.

 

Despite this, it appears that in less than two months the two sides will share power in their torn country. It’s not just any power sharing; the parties set to join the government will be the most radical on each side and will include the Catholic Sinn Fein (the IRA's political arm) and the Ulster Democratic Unionist party headed by the radical protestant Rev Ian Paisley.

 

Gritting their teeth and bearing a look of revulsion, the two parties are being forced to get used to the idea of sitting alongside each other and sharing power as they make mutual concessions.

 

Given that the large parties on both sides are the most radical, an absurd situation will be created in which Paisley, who throughout his life fervently preached against the Catholics and spread hatred and contempt, is supposed to act as prime minister while his deputy will be Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness, a former IRA commander attributed with the killing of numerous Protestants - namely, a man with "blood on his hands."

 

Huge economic incentive

The main factor accelerating the understandings between this somewhat odd couple is a huge monetary enticement offered by Britain and Republican Ireland to the torn north: A 50 million pound grant for 12 years along with other economic benefits, which will serve to promote foreign investment and massive tax reductions.

 

This is an incredible amount for Northern Ireland, and even radical leaders such as Paisley and McGuinness know that investments of such scope are likely to economically revolutionize their country.

 

For years Northern Ireland has enviously been looking at the south, which was transformed into an economic miracle. The situation was different in the past. Until the bloody events in the north erupted in 1968, the southern Irish residents actually envied their brothers in the thriving north.

 

The situation, however, was reversed, and today it is blatantly clear to the most radical leaders in the north that the citizens of their country wish to see the end of hostility and to more closely resemble their brothers in the south, who twice a year take vacations in the Caribbean or in Greece and purchase fancy cars and luxury homes in Spain and Portugal.

 

Radicals on both sides are still trying to drive a wedge in the wheels of progress, yet it appears that even the most fervent ideologist of hatred will be forced to surrender to the new wind that is blowing. In the beginning of the 1990s, the Americans and British gave up, saying that the Irish conflict could not be resolved and that hatred would reign there eternally. Then lo and behold! Those same hot-headed people are now reaching an agreement of cooperation.

 

If this experiment in Northern Ireland succeeds, there is no reason why we shouldn’t learn from it and apply it to our region as well. Perhaps the lessons to be drawn here are that even the greatest radicals find it hard to withstand the temptation of huge economic grants. If it's possible there, than it is anywhere.

 


פרסום ראשון: 01.26.07, 00:02
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