Does the Rev. Jesse Jackson still matter? Fresh from his historic trip to the Middle East and celebrating his 65 birthday, is the tireless 'Reverend' out of touch or more relevant, than ever?

With cameras rolling and photographers clicking away, the Rev. Jesse Jackson clutched Karnit Goldvasser's hand in the private lounge of Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport. "All we have are rumors. Can you help us with these rumors?" the young wife of a captured Israeli soldier pleaded. "I just want something, some sign from him that says he, is okay."

In a gentle voice, Rev. Jackson told her that he had received personal-assurances from the leaders of Hezbollah, Syria and Lebanon that her husband, Ehud, and another Israeli soldier were alive and well. Everything we have heard from the top levels of government collaborates what you have heard," Jackson replied. "You should hold on until we are able to get the relevant parties back to the negotiating table."

This time, though, Jackson couldn't deliver.

Still, it was vintage Jesse Jackson, on the world stage--center stage, in fact--at a major world event. Just about wherever he went in the Middle East, he was greeted like an international star, as if his name were Ali or Mandela. Old Muslim and Jewish women wanted their photos taken with him. Young Christian fathers grabbed for his hand, just to meet the renowned world leader.

Scenes like that in Syria, Lebanon and Israel in August 2006 were reminiscent of January 1984, when Jackson's surprising negotiations with the late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad led to the release of U.S. Navy pilot Robert Goodman.

Back then, he returned to America a political hero, saluted by President Ronald Reagan and applauded around the world. But this time, because he could not convince the leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas to release the Israeli soldiers or even provide proof that they were still alive, some questioned the success of the mission or whether he should have gone at all. Still, others think the attempt was well worth the effort, even to keep the issue in the spotlight.

Keeping up with the times, or falling behind. Indeed, now at 65, some wonder whether Jackson's time has come and gone.

Many question whether the former presidential candidate and Martin Luther King Jr. protege's traditional brand of civil rights activism is still relevant. Others say that Jackson and other Black leaders of his generation like Andy Young and the Rev. Al Sharpton--are out of touch with today's 30-and-under hip-hop generation.

But whether it is Syria and South Lebanon, or New Orleans and Biloxi, the tireless Jackson continues to show up where no one else will, speaking out against injustice and for human, civil and economic rights. "Is he relevant? Absolutely, more than ever," says Sharpton, who says he has learned from and admired Jackson for decades. "He's a teacher and a mentor. He mentored me. He's out there now through many of those whom he has trained to do what they do."

"There are few in history, and even fewer alive, who have achieved as many tangible things as Jesse Louis Jackson," adds Sharpton.

Those who know Rev. Jackson and have worked with him, like Rev. Grainger Browning, pastor of Ebenezer AME Church in Fort Washington, Md., say he is more relevant than ever. "The national issues that we are facing in 2006 are not that much different than what Dr. King faced in 1966," says Rev. Browning, who has traveled with him on several of his overseas trips and watched his congregation grow from 350 after Jackson made a brief campaign stop in 1984 to more than 12,000 today. "To think that the issues we face have changed is to make a serious mistake."

Browning says what has changed is that the world has become more connected as a result of globalization and African-Americans are in danger of being left behind. "Internationally, as the world becomes more global, African-Americans need to see ourselves as world citizens," he says.

GLOBETROTTING WITH A POINT

Mainstream media and others often dismiss Jackson's international missions--like his August trip to the Middle East seeking the release of the Israeli soldiers--as the globetrotting antics of an aging, civil rights icon craving media attention. But Browning says nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, he says, there is meaning and method in his international moves. "There is no one internationally who is able to dialogue with such a diverse group of people as Rev. Jackson," says Browning, who traveled with him to the Middle East in late August and early September. It was Browning's fifth international trip with Jackson.

"There are so many people and countries that can't or don't speak to each other because of past histories," says Browning. "But Rev. Jackson has developed and maintains relationships with many of them. He tries to find common ground between enemies. It's conflict resolution."

As a result, Jackson continues to be one of the most popular and respected men in the world. "There is no other individual who has been on the world scene for over 40 years," says Browning. "If the world voted for its most popular citizen, Jesse Jackson would have to be in the top three, and the only one who could beat him would be Nelson Mandela."