ARAB SHAKES HAND WITH JEW: EARTH SHAKES

Israeli-Iraqi Handshake in Jordan - Itamar Eichner and Smadar Peri (Ynet News)
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari shook hands and exchanged greetings with Israeli National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer on Sunday at the World Economic Forum in Jordan, a rare gesture for officials of countries that have no diplomatic ties. Ben Eliezer, who was born in Basra, Iraq, unexpectedly bumped into Zebari, shook his hand, and said "How are you" in Arabic. Later Ben Eliezer said, "My dream is to take my children and grandchildren to Iraq and show them where I was born and grew up." The unusual handshake received media courage throughout the Arab world, which may account for Zebari downplaying the encounter.