Israel responds to an ominous build-up of Arab forces along its borders by launching simultaneous attacks against Egypt and Syria. Jordan subsequently entered the fray, but the Arab coalition was no match for Israel’s proficient armed forces. In six days of fighting, Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, the Golan Heights of Syria, and the West Bank and Arab sector of East Jerusalem, both previously under Jordanian rule. By the time the United Nations cease-fire took effect on June 11, Israel had more than doubled its size. The true fruits of victory came in claiming the Old City of Jerusalem from Jordan. Many wept while bent in prayer at the Western Wall of the Second Temple. The U.N. Security Council called for a withdrawal from all the occupied regions, but Israel declined, permanently annexing East Jerusalem and setting up military administrations in the occupied territories. Israel let it be known that Gaza, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and the Sinai would be returned in exchange for Arab recognition of the right of Israel to exist and guarantees against future attack.

Arab leaders, stinging from their defeat, met in August to discuss the future of the Middle East. They decided upon a policy of no peace, no negotiations, and no recognition of Israel, and made plans to defend zealously the rights of Palestinian Arabs in the occupied territories. Egypt, however, would eventually negotiate and make peace with Israel, and in 1982 the Sinai Peninsula was returned to Egypt in exchange for full diplomatic recognition of Israel. Egypt and Jordan later gave up their respective claims to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to the Palestinians, who opened “land for peace” talks with Israel beginning in the 1990s. A permanent Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement remains elusive, as does an agreement with Syria to return the Golan Heights.

Israel/Palestine - Six-Day War following the Suez Crisis Palestinians remained a marginalized population conditions in Gaza particularly bad; Palestinians in West Bank resisted efforts by Jordan to integrate Palestinians had viewed Pan-Arabism as a way to resolve their struggle with Israel under Yasser Arafat’s leadership Fatah came to dominate the Palestinian cause

Fatah principles Palestinians alone responsible for their fate priority of Palestinian liberation over Arab unity armed struggle to achieve goal Fatah part of global anti-imperialist cause

Assifa rivalry between Fatah and PLO - Artafat boycott of PLO meeting in East Jerusalem some Fatah members attracted to PLO Fatah battle group Assifa (the Storm) attacked the National Water Carrier Canal in Israel plan failed, but resulting publicity increased support for Fatah and Arafat further attacks by Assifa - eleven Israelis killed; provocative attacks prepare way for Six-Day War

Path to War Israeli PM Eskol invited “hawks” Menachem Begin and Moshe Dayan to join his cabinet in 1967 hawks favored war in order to expand Israeli territory and make it more defensible Palestinians also favored war to regain their lands Lebanon and Jordan rejected war; while Nasser publicly advocated war, he privately considered the consequences of defeat

Cross-border conflicts conflicts on the Syrian/Israeli border - water rights; aerial combat Palestinians carried out raids on Israel from southern Lebanon and Jordan in reprisal for the killing of Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem the IDF launched amajor attack on the village of Samu in the West Bank homes, mosque demolished and 50 Jordanian forces, killed or injured Hussein almost overthrown

reflecting Cold War rivalries Israel and its enemies received arms from both the Soviet Union and the West U.S., (Johnson) West Germany, France provided weapons Soviet Union supplied Syria with Soviet backing Egypt and Syria entered defense pact in 1966 based on false information supplied by the Soviets Nasser prepared for war - UN observers were asked to withdraw from Sinai

Six-Day War 1967 U Thant, UN Secretary General, agreed to withdraw observers Nasser closed Strait of Tiran considered an act of war by Israel waiting period - Hussein agreement with Nasser; Arab nations promised solidarity with Egypt Israel planned attack

advantage Israel - highly trained, highly motivated forces; superior weaponry; surprise attack Arab countries lacked coordination and motivation - Jordan a reluctant participant quick victory essential for Israel June 5, 1967 Israeli’s targeted Egyptian airbases and communication network 309 of 340 Egyptian aircraft were destroyed IDF advanced across Sinai to Suez Canal

within days Israel now occupied Sinai, Gaza, West Bank - including East Jerusalem tensions mounted between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. with the West Bank secured, Israel accepted a ceasefire - Jordan and Egypt had already accepted the ceasefire proposal

despite the ceasefire Israel attacked the Golan Heights in Syria U.S. (Johnson) condemnation of the action off the coast of Gaza an intelligence-gathering ship, the USS Liberty was attacked by Israeli planes 205 of crew were killed or wounded planned by Dayan? Israelis claimed it was all a terrible mistake Israelis now struck and captured the Golan Heights - 10 June

After the war major loss of forces and equipment on Arab side; Israelis lost only 779 soldiers Israel had captured Sinai, West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights captured territories under military occupation Jerusalem was made Israel’s capital

Six-Day War greatly added to the Palestinian refugee problem some 323,000 new refugees from the occupied territories war, however, helped to strengthen sense of Palestinian unity Arafat’s Fatah-dominated PLO policy of aggressive nationalism now held sway - Pan-Arabism had failed greater international focus on the plight of the Palestinian people

Resolution 242 following war, hawks and doves on both sides doves willing to exchange land for peace - Israeli PM Eshkol, King Hussein, Nasser hawks, no compromise attitude - Israel’s Menachem Begin and Syria Arab summit, September 1967 adopted ‘three- noes’

Resolution 242 British-worded compromise resolution stated illegality of conquest Israel must return ‘territories occupied’ - abiguity, all or some? land for peace basis for resolution of conflict by 1970 Israel had accepted Resolution

Syria strongly against Resolution 242 proposals Arafat and the Palestinians also rejected the Resolution all stolen Palestinian land should be returned Israel’s neighbors would ultimately accept the principle of ‘land for peace’ some in the Palestinian movement would also accept this principle