King Hussein and Yitzhak Rabin's Cigarettes

The road to peace in the Middle East has not been simple since the creation of Israel. Israel has faced threats constantly from all sides due to it being surrounded by generally hostile countries (and territories) such as Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, and more. The hostility between certain countries and Israel has decreased over time due to many negotiations and peace treaties. For example, in 1979, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed the Camp David Accords, a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel that still stands today. Another example of peace in the Middle East is shown in the picture above. In 1994, Jordanian King Hussein and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty, another treaty that still stands despite continuous tensions in the Middle East. The image of Rabin and King Hussein smoking together exemplifies resolve (and attempts at it) between Israel and its surrounding rivals. It also resembles movement towards peace. The image resembles more than just a peace agreement, but it also symbolizes hope, a theme that was very important after World War II for Jews. While peace is still a long way away, the image of the two smoking together provides hope for the future in the Middle East.