It was the burning question on the mind of the disciples as they gathered around Jesus for the final time before His ascension into the Father's presence. "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). This question continues to dominate headlines today as new efforts struggle to bring peace to the Middle East. World leaders seek the answer but are looking in the wrong place.
Last month in Annapolis, Maryland, the Bush administration called together the leaders of the state of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas, to attempt a jump-start of the Middle East peace process. Out of the meeting came agreement to begin regular talks to arrive at a just settlement on the critical issues before the Israelis and the Palestinians. No one is making any predictions, but at least there are efforts underway to work toward some solution to the problems that have vexed diplomats since 1948.
Peace talks between the Arabs and Israelis always produce interesting scenes of human behavior. Saudi Arabia and Syria sent delegates at the last minute, but the Saudis emphatically said there would be no handshaking with the Israelis. And to put emphasis to this, Israeli journalists were barred from a Saudi press conference and were forced to stand in the rain to cover the event. So much for serious fence-mending. If ever there will be peace between the descendants of Abraham, they will at least have to be willing to shake hands.
The Bush administration has not focused on the peace process during its seven years in office. There was the earlier "road map to peace" effort, but no one has traveled far down that road. Now President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are making a final effort to make something happen before they leave office in January 2009. The stakes are high if they fail, but to do nothing does not reduce the risk.
