It’s Blair Versus History
Upon Tony Blair’s departure from his post as prime minister of the United Kingdom, he was immediately given another assignment. He is charged with the responsibility of straightening out the bellicose situation between Israel and Palestine.
A quick glance back at the roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict suggests that Blair has been assigned to one of the toughest tasks ever undertaken by any statesman in modern and ancient times.
The story begins with Noah who built an ark and preserved life on earth. He had three sons — Ham, Shem and Japheth. On one occasion, Noah got real drunk and was found by his son Ham. Ham called to his brothers to come see the state of the old man. They were embarrassed. They put on Noah’s clothes and laid him to sleep.
The next morning they told Noah the whole story. Noah swore a curse on Ham and his descendants. They would be eternally condemned to servitude under the command of the descendants of Shem and Japheth.
We don’t know what happened to the descendants of Japheth, but we do know what happened to the descendants of Shem — the Semites. Under the leadership of Joshua, the Semites assailed the walled city of Jericho. And, as the Negro spiritual says, “And the walls came tumbling down.”
From those days to the present, the conflict continued in the clash between Israel and Palestine.
After the Six Day War, Israel annexed territory on the theory that to the “victor belong the spoils.”
Blair’s task won’t be easy. Even if he persuades the governments of Israel and Palestine to work out a two-state solution, he will still have to deal with the armed terrorists of Gaza who wish to continue a war started thousands of years ago.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
