ABSTRACT
Reconciliation between former enemies is facilitated by mutually beneficial contacts between them, physical and cultural similarity, shared problems, the expression of regret for previous policies, acceptance of the ‘verdict of battle’ and the emergence of new elites willing to punish those responsible for cruelties perpetrated during the fighting. It can also be facilitated by the exchange of information, though such information may, for a time, have the reverse effect if it suggests that war crimes were widespread and had the support of the majority of the enemy population. If this information is bound to emerge eventually, it is better in many cases that it should do so quickly so that the implications can be digested and younger people can grow up willing to put the past behind them. It contributes if each nation recognizes that its ancestors sometimes behaved in morally reprehensible ways and is willing to admit this without engaging in historical arguments, claims and counter-claims (Barkan 2000).
