The Cost Of Being A Go-Between

This flow traces the burdens placed on Terje Rød-Larsen as he carries messages, manages trust, and confronts the limits of mediation.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Messenger's Position

The Messenger's Position A human connection line Terje Rød-Larsen takes calls from Israeli and Palestinian participants who cannot safely contact one another. He turns coded references into a channel of communication. Responsibility without authority He has access but no formal power to guarantee either side’s promises. The messenger’s role offers leverage while making him responsible for misunderstandings he cannot fully control.

The Oath To Qurie

The Oath To Qurie A dangerous assurance Ahmed Qurie asks Terje Rød-Larsen to swear that Mona Juul has secured an Israeli upgrade. Terje Rød-Larsen swears on his wife’s soul, although the assurance rests on uncertain political ground. Trust placed at risk The promise brings Ahmed Qurie back to Oslo, but also makes Terje Rød-Larsen’s credibility central to the process. If the upgrade fails to materialize, more than one meeting could collapse.

The Man Between Leaders

The Man Between Leaders An indirect conversation Terje Rød-Larsen relays messages between Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat, translating demands and carrying refusals. He must maintain the connection even when the leaders are exhausted and angry. The strain of mediation Each side depends on his accurate transmission, yet neither can speak directly to the other. The role turns one man into the narrow bridge on which an agreement temporarily rests.

The Whispered Proposal

The Whispered Proposal A mediator intervenes When Shimon Peres declares Jerusalem non-negotiable and Ahmed Qurie refuses to bluff, Terje Rød-Larsen whispers a formulation to Peres. Mona Juul and Johan Jorgen Holst react as he crosses the line between carrying messages and shaping them. A breakthrough with a cost Peres accepts language postponing the dispute, and the document is accepted. The success raises an uncomfortable question: did mediation preserve the process, or did Terje Rød-Larsen compromise the neutrality he had promised?

The Story Of The Process

The Story Of The Process A claim of achievement Terje Rød-Larsen tells the audience that the channel helped make Palestinian statehood a possibility accepted by the world and contributed to later regional changes. He asks them to look at how far the participants have traveled. An invitation, not a verdict Mona Juul remains uncertain about whether their methods were right. Terje Rød-Larsen ends by asking the audience to see possibility ahead, leaving the moral and political judgment unresolved.

During the first direct calls between the parties

During the dispute over an Israeli upgrade

During the seven-hour Stockholm call

At the final dispute over Jerusalem

During the final moments of the play