Alfred Nobel was a Swedish chemist, engineer, and industrialist who invented dynamite and other powerful explosives. In 1888, a French newspaper mistakenly reported Alfred's death, writing, "The merchant of death is dead," and criticised him for making a fortune by finding ways to kill more people faster. Shocked by this portrayal and horrified at the thought of being remembered for his fortune made from inventing dynamite and weapons, Nobel sought to dedicate his wealth to honour individuals who provided the "greatest benefit to humankind" in science, literature, and, specifically, peace. Thus, for great and sagacious people, it ultimately becomes a question of how they will be remembered and judged by history.

However, for others with a more myopic view, driven by absolute power and self-interest, legacy and statesmanship are not factors: the present becomes the past and the future as well. The most recent example is the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, particularly in Gaza and, to a lesser extent, in what remains of the West Bank. For more than........

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