ABSTRACT
Barring the attempts of ideologically committed artists and politicians, for most Israelis the Arab enemy remained a faceless or threatening “them” during the forty something years which elapsed between the founding of the state and the signing of the Oslo agreement. With one dramatic exception. In 1977, Anwar elSadat, in a psychologically insightful act that seemed unthinkable at the time, visited Jerusalem, offering Israel diplomatic recognition in return for territorial concessions. In contrast to prior negotiations with Arab leaders, which were conducted in secret, in disguise, and never got anywhere, the Jerusalem visit was broadcast live, every step of the way, with Sadat talking to Israelis “above the heads” of their (and his own) government. The Israeli public, starved for acceptance by its neighbors, reacted by falling in love with the Egyptian President. The strategy of addressing the enemy in the second person-replacing “them” with “thou” (Buber, 1958)—proved extremely effective, at least in this case. It provides a dramatic clue not only to the power of a face-to-face encounter, but for the potential power of television to transform the reality of conflict.
