Flynn's Mitch Rapp on Peace

From the closing passage of Executive Power.

It is the eve of a momentous summit on Middle Eastern affairs. Hero and all around tough-guy CIA man, Mitch Rapp is explaining to President Hayes why he's not optimistic about peace in the middle east.

"Sir,...I'm a skeptic as to whether or not that peace will ever become a reality."

The president frowned. He did not want his good mood spoiled. "Why do you think that."

"Because there's an element within the Arab world that will settle for nothing short of the total destruction of Israel."

"That element hasn't been invited to the table. Israel and Palestine must coexist side by side. There is no other choice."

"I agree, sir, but that element doesn't want to be invited to the peace table. That's the problem. They only want the destruction of Israel."

"So, what would you advise me to do?" asked a cautious Hayes.

Exactly what your're doing, sir. Just make sure you hold no illusions about what it will take to really make peace. Those groups that don't want peace need to be dealt with, and there's only one thing they understand."

"What's that?"

Rapp reached behind his back with his left hand and drew out his gun. He wanted to make his point with the president, bring him back down from the clouds. This part of the peace process was easy, with civilized men and women gathering in a magnificent city like Paris, talking about noble causes while the world press lauded them with accolades. At night they all went to bed secretly dreaming that one day soon they would win the Nobel Peace Prize, while several thousand miles away young Palestinian boys and girls were being trained to blow themselves up in the name of their god. Those so-called martyrs cared little about documents signed in fancy rooms by fancy men. It was not possible to reason with unreasonable people.

Rapp held his gun in the palm of his hand for the president to see, and said, "This is the only thing zealots understand, sir. If you want peace in the Middle East they need to be dealt with. Only then will Israelis and Palestinians be able to live side by side."

Perhaps there are real life world leaders who can learn from the fictional Mitch Rapp?