Bono intervenes on the conflict between Israel and Palestine and writes a long article in The Atlantic where he brings together Irish memory, political pragmatism and a clear stance. The U2 frontman, in fact, openly calls for the release of Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian leader detained in Israeli prisons since 2002 and sentenced to five life sentences, indicating him as a key figure to restart a true peace process.
«We made a mistake in describing peace as a fairy tale made up of doves and handshakes», Bono began. «Peace is hard work. It's a process. And without the consent of those who waged the war, no construction is possible,” he adds. This is where, according to him, Barghouti should come into play, a controversial but, according to Bono, inevitable figure: «Like Mandela, he is not a man of non-violence, but he is a man who recognizes the legitimate existence of the Other».
For Bono, it represents what is dramatically missing today: a Palestinian leadership with real credibility, inside and outside its own people: «Paramilitaries do not lay down their weapons at the request of pacifists or think tanks»he writes without mincing words. And he continues: «Credibility belongs to those who have been on the barricades, even when this makes us deeply uncomfortable».
The parallel with Northern Ireland is explicit. As happened with the Good Friday Agreement, it was former paramilitary leaders who brought communities to the table: «You don't make peace with friends, but with very unpleasant enemies»he recalls, quoting Yitzhak Rabin. And he warns: «Ukilling Barghouti, as desired by the Israeli far right, means executing the peace process». And the closure is a call of no return: «Without trial there is no peace. And today there is neither one nor the other».
