When you mention history, it can trigger a roll of the eyes. Add the Middle East to the equation, and folks might start running for the hills, unwilling to get caught up in the seemingly bottomless pit of details and disputes.
But without an understanding of what happened in the past, it's impossible to grasp where we are today; and where we are has profound relevance for the region and the world.
Fifty years ago this month, the Six-Day War broke out.
While some wars fade into obscurity, this one remains as relevant today as it was in 1967. Many of its core issues remain unresolved.
Politicians, diplomats and journalists continue to grapple with the consequences of that war, but rarely consider, or perhaps are even unaware of, the context. Yet without context, some critically important things may not make sense..
Today, there are those who wish to rewrite history.
They want the world to believe that there was once a Palestinian state. There was not.
They want the world to believe that there were fixed borders between that state and Israel. In fact, there was only an armistice line between Israel and the Jordanian-controlled West Bank and eastern Jerusalem.
They want the world to believe that the 1967 war was a bellicose act by Israel. But it was an act of self-defense in the face of blood-curdling threats to vanquish the Jewish state, not to mention the maritime blockade of the Straits of Tiran, the abrupt withdrawal of UN peacekeeping forces and the redeployment of Egyptian and Syrian troops.
All wars have consequences. This one was no exception. But the aggressors have failed to take responsibility for the actions they instigated.
Examine the verifiable details here.