Right Voices

Bill Clinton failed, Tony Blair drew a blank and Kofi Annan made little progress. But now a team of Hollywood film stars is about to visit the Middle East on a private peace mission, in the belief that their charms will work magic on the Israeli-Arab conflict.

Brad Pitt, his wife, Jennifer Aniston, and Danny DeVito are among the stars who aim to succeed where world statesmen have stumbled.

“The past few years of conflict mean that yet another generation of Israelis and Palestinians will grow up in hatred,” reads a statement from Pitt and Aniston. “We cannot allow that to happen.”

Quite how they intend to stop it is not entirely clear. The logic behind their mission, planned to take place before the end of the year, is not especially sophisticated.

So where experts have failed these movie stars (Brad, Jen, Danny, Rita, Ed Norton, Jason Alexander and others) will be able to step in and appeal to the “ordinary folk” and make the two sides see where they have failed in the art of negotiating?

They’ll be able to teach them how to come to terms with the issues and to settle this conflict?

It’s good to get involved in things one believes in – - but what makes them think all the others before them, those who are far more qualified, have not tried to this very thing for decades?