Right now, and perhaps for a good while to come, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is in serious trouble. That doesn’t mean the almighty process won’t continue. All sides need it for different reasons. And like rock-and-roll, it will never really die.

Reaching a conflict-ending agreement, however, is another matter. I’d venture to say that even if you invited Jesus, Moses, and Muhammed down as negotiators, they couldn’t find a way to sort things out.

But what about former Secretary of State James A. Baker, without a doubt the best negotiator since Henry Kissinger—and, as George H.W. Bush told me, a real tough trader too. Could Baker see his way through the current travails of the peace process?

In fairness to Secretary Kerry, who’s worked long and hard on this process, the circumstances he and Baker confronted were vastly different. Baker was going for a three-day peace conference in Madrid; Kerry has embarked on a mission to resolve the core issues of Jerusalem, borders, and refugees. Back then the U.S. enjoyed a rare moment of unmatched power in the wake of pushing Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait; now Washington is neither feared, respected, nor much admired in this region.

Still, circumstances and substance aside, Baker had at least five key rules that helped him succeed. Would they work now if applied? And could John Kerry benefit from them? Let’s take a look.