If a mafia boss, like Don Corleone, makes you an offer you couldn’t refuse; you better watch out. You may end up with a horse’s head in your bed. But if you were offered a legacy you couldn’t refuse — a legacy of peace — could that make a difference? Could it influence a leader like Benjamin Netanyahu to usher in an age of peace?
“Le Marchand de la Mort est Mort” — “The Merchant of Death is Dead”
One of my favorite stories is the story of Alfred Nobel. He was the Swedish man who invented dynamite and who became quite wealthy as a result, owning over 90 factories which produced all sorts of explosives. One day, perhaps over a cup of coffee, he opened up the newspaper and read his own obituary, which was titled “The Merchant of Death is Dead.” What had happened was that a French newspaper made a mistake and confused Alfred with his brother, Ludvig, who had passed away. The obituary stated quite clearly that Alfred enabled the deaths of more people than anyone else in history.
When Alfred read his own obituary, he probably shit himself. “This is how I’m going to be remembered?” “This is what my whole life boils down to?” He must have thought about it long and hard, and decided, finally, to launch, and generously fund, The Nobel Prize, using most of his wealth. And guess what? That’s how we remember him. That’s his legacy; as the man who changed course, and decided to recognize our greatest achievements in the fields of: physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, peace, and the economy.
A wealthy man has everything he wants, and more. My wife and I travel to beach resorts where we see 200’ yachts docked, complete with a captain, a crew, plenty of boys’ toys, and lots of booze on standby. Who the hell needs a 200’ yacht? But there is one thing that even a wealthy man does not have — his legacy. How will I be remembered? The story of Alfred Nobel demonstrates the importance of legacy. If you present the wealthy man with a vision that he thinks is worthy of his legacy, then he will not only put up the money, but will use his skills to make it happen, because that’s how he made his money in the first place; by making things happen. Such is the dynamic of the philanthropic impulse: a wealthy man in search of his legacy.
The two year war between Israel and Hamas has reached a critical juncture. Both Israelis and the people of Gaza are tired of war. President Trump has put a 20 point peace plan on the table, which Bibi Netanyahu has accepted in principle. Hamas has come back with a partial acceptance to include: releasing all the hostages both dead and alive, and agreeing that a new government will rule Gaza. Hamas has not as yet agreed to disarm. Plenty of heated negotiations lie ahead.
Netanyahu probably faces the same kind of dilemma that Alfred Nobel faced. How will I be remembered? Will I be remembered for war, or for peace? He knows that his governing coalition may likely fall apart, but may believe that he could put another coalition together of leaders who support Trump’s peace deal. He probably does not trust Hamas worth a damn — why would he? — and knows that their ultimate goal is to destroy Israel. They have made that clear in their Charter, in the words spoken by their leaders, and in their actions on October 7, 2023 and numerous other acts of terror. So why trust them to abide by this peace deal? Why take the risk?
Netanyahu is all about securing Israel no matter what it takes. But perhaps he is coming to the conclusion that a military campaign can only get you so far when it comes to security. Perhaps the ultimate and only way of securing Israel is peace. And perhaps, as well, a peace deal in Gaza could pave the way for broadening The Abraham Accords, and thereby normalizing relations with most of the Arab world. Could that be the best way to secure Israel: by partnering with Arabs, instead of fighting with them?
The future of the Middle East could one day look quite differently than what we see today. We can envision a military/economic alliance between the more moderate Arab nations and Israel. On the military side, there would be a coalition of the willing to defend against ideological extremism; the kind of extremism that threatens the Arab world as much as it threatens Israel. On the economic side, there would be a partnering of Arab and Western capital, with Israeli innovation to create millions of good-paying jobs throughout the region; which would inspire a sense of hope, and deliver on that promise with opportunity.
Through all the pain and suffering of the past two years, there could emerge a bright future; believe it or not. It happened after World War II, and could well happen again. Our leaders could decide to embrace a vision of hope not necessarily because of their good intentions. They could do so because there is no other viable alternative. There is a strange alignment of the stars happening whereby the self-interest of some of the key players is coming into alignment with the best interests of the region. Let it start that way, out of self-interest, and perhaps it will grow into something greater — something like peace.
Leaders have their strongly held beliefs. But perhaps there is nothing worth believing in more than peace. And what exactly does peace look like? I hear she has three faces: peace between man and the natural world (which is about sustainability), peace between man and his fellow man (which is about economic equity), and peace between nations (which results when nations join forces to accomplish the first two versions of peace). Bibi Netanyahu has a choice to make; a choice that will determine how he is remembered. God willing, he will choose peace, and discover that all his other noble ambitions have been realized thereby.
Please take a look at this 5-minute video, “What is the Missing Piece for Green?” to see what peace can look like, in all her glory.