For some reason the outside world thinks that Pe'er playing in Qatar or Dubai is seen as some step towards peace. Which is perhaps the most myopic observation in the history of mankind. How can an athlete be expected to bridge the divide when while she is lobbing tennis balls Israel is killing Palestinians with little or no recourse? How can this be a step towards positive, equitable, and normal relations between two people when the athlete is forced to hide out in her hotel room all day?
These sort of "sports brings people together" moments happen only AFTER peace and justice are secured. There are many examples: South Africa's 1995 Rugby Team, Germany's 1990 World Cup Team, and Vlade Divac (a Serb) visiting the grave of his former FYR Yugoslavia teammate Drazen Petrovic (a Croat) in the documentary Once Brothers.
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