Arqueologia e conflito politico no Oriente Médio

Em Abnormal Interests, Duane Smith chama a atenção para o artigo de Walter Reich, King Herod's return, no Los Angeles Times de hoje.

Walter Reich é Professor de Assuntos Internacionais, Ética e Comportamento Humano na Universidade George Washington, Washington, DC, e escreve aqui sobre o uso político da arqueologia no Oriente Médio, tomando como ponto de partida o caso da descoberta da Tumba de Herodes.

Em determinado ponto ele diz:
For Israelis, such finds are seen as an emblem of the Jews' ancient and unbroken connection with the land, going back 3,500 years, that justifies the existence of Israel as a Jewish state. For Palestinians, they're seen as a way of legitimizing Israel — the creation of which turned many of them or their forebears into refugees — and are therefore often dismissed as myth or fantasy.

E termina assim seu artigo:
Only when each side recognizes the historical right of the other to live in the region will it be possible to begin to talk about peace and a fair reckoning on Jerusalem. And only then will it be possible to put Herod's vengeful ghost back into his haunted archeological tomb.

Andei falando sobre isso em:
O tom político da arqueologia em Jerusalém
Tumba de Herodes e conflito no Oriente Médio
Tumba de Herodes em território palestino ocupado