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Important Handshakes
By Micah Halpern

Saturday April 9, 2005

I've Been Thinking:

Handshakes are a powerful form of communication.
The importance of the handshake between Israeli President Katzav and Syrian President Assad, and the handshake between Israeli President Katzav and Iranian Prime Minister Khatami are not to be underestimated.

The handshakes were captures on camera at the funeral of Pope John Paul II.
The fact that the Iranian media, IRNA, denied that the handshake ever happened is irrelevant. We saw the pictures. As for Syria, official dialogue and negotiations with Israel over the Golan Heights have already taken place in Virginia.

The origin of the handshake is important here. In ancient Greece people would extend their right hand - their dagger hand - to demonstrate that one meant no harm to the other. The metaphor still holds.

The official funerals of world leaders are ideal venues for informally breaking down barriers. At international events, leaders can share and discuss potentially heated or explosive issues that they would not discuss in more formal settings.
Public exposure at public events makes it unlikely that anyone will "make a scene!"

But remember, this is the Middle East where just as the unofficial sometimes quietly becomes official, the official is sometimes silenced so as not to draw public attention.

4 June 2017 12:14 PM in Thoughts


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