Conflict, humour and reconcilement in Palestine, Israel and Northern Ireland

This article studies humour as a cultural form of meaning-making in the complex space of ethno-religious-national conflict and its aftermath. In the context of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, and in view of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the author examines the ways in which humour, as deployed by Lisa McGee and Sayed Kashua in their TV shows and in Emile Habiby’s The Secret Life of Saeed , disrupts the given narratives of a place. The power of humour in cultural production is variously shown to contribute to peacebuilding efforts by rejecting the status quo, subverting state discourses, or illuminating the absurdities of everyday experiences of violent conflict. However, the author argues that the use of humour also raises questions about spaces of privilege and subordination, insiders and outsiders, and the dubious goal of reconciliation.