Peace Through Humour

A Jew and an Arab walk into a bar at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto.

At first, there are no punch lines, even though Aaron Freeman and Ray Hanania are the comics in town to promote the forthcoming Israeli-Palestinian Comedy Tour. The Toronto leg of the "Peace Through Comedy" initiative, which has already knocked 'em dead (in the good sense) in Tel Aviv and East Jerusalem, has attracted a celebrity host. Poet Maya Angelou will appear with the funnymen at Roy Thomson Hall on May 29.

The mention of 79-year-old Angelou provokes a joke spree during a publicity photo shoot. "Try to get my sexy smile," Hanania, a Chicago-born Palestinian tells a newspaper photographer.

"That's not sexy," exclaims Freeman, a black Jew, his voice settling into a warm purr. "It's late at night after the show. There's a knock on your door. It's Ma-ya An-gel-ooou and she ain't got nothin' on."

A smile tugs the corners of Hanania's lips. "Why don't you shoot him?" he begs the photographer.

"Violence doesn't solve anything," Freeman laughs.

Seconds later, the comics are asked if comedians have stumped for peace in the Middle East before. A set-up line Freeman is quick to pounce on.

"Sure," he says, a sideways grin splitting his face. "First there was Jimmy Carter, Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin at Camp David. They were hilarious."

"Actually, we don't do political humour," Hanania comments. "We put a Palestinian and a Jew on a stage in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to settle a more important question: hummus and tabbouleh. Who invented it?"