Irving Kristol is sadly right, and the greatest tempter of them all comes in the form of the Nobel Committee. The worldwide adulation that comes with receiving the Nobel Peace Prize is one that surely everyone who aspires to the title "statesman" covets as a crowning achievement to their life's work. Yet the number of Nobels awarded to efforts to resolve conflicts which are still not resolved (or remained unresolved for many years after) is stunning, and the pack is led by those to solve The Palestine Question (my own countryman, Lester Pearson, is among them).
However, we have to get our heads around the fact that this death struggle for a tiny plot of land is a Spiritual war and not one that can ever be won in the flesh. Resolving it would require calling on the Most High to place His hand on the situation and determining to follow His will. Dare I say it: Jesus Christ can be the Great Mediator between the children of Israel and the children of Ishmael -- reconciling faith and flesh. But you can't award a Nobel Peace Prize to God, so it may take a while for this concept to catch on in the diplomatic community.
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