The Six Day War Changed the Middle East Part II

The hostilities that developed between 1949 through the 1960's developed mostly out of who supported Israel and when. The United States undaunted support for Israel was not always the case as we will see. The map to the right is the expanded borders of Israel after the war of independence. Of course the areas that were expanded were known as the green zones, but were not recognized by Arab states.

The Soviet Union who supported Israel's war of independence and a Jewish state began to align itself with the Arab states, supplying arms. The United States, though supportive, almost gave no aid to Israel during the Truman and Eisenhower administrations. The relative peace that was maintained between 1949 through the 1960's were interrupted by Israel's refusal to accept refugees and a growing crisis over the Suez Canal.

The first important event was known as the "Lavon Affair" where Israel was caught trying to incite tension between Egypt and the United States by attempting to blow up the US information agency in Egypt and other targets. Egypt became suspicious of Israel's intentions and both countries began purchasing arms. Israel, France and Britain, in the summer of 1956 began a plan to stop the nationalization of the Suez canal and Israel invaded, capturing the Sinai peninsula. The United States was furious (how things have changed) at all three allies after Israel captured the Sinai peninsula rather easily. The UN called for immediate withdrawal and months later safely negotiated this withdrawal with insurance from Egypt that the waterways would not be closed to Israel.

Yasser Arafat who grew up in the Gaza Strip as an Egyptian Palestinian began actively supporting the elimination of Israel at University in Cairo and eventually became head of the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) in 1964. Many events in the 1960's led to the Six Day War and are too voluminous to do an adequate job in such a short piece. Tensions over the Suez canal, over water in southern Israel, the Golan Heights in Syria, the West Bank near Jordan all led in some degree or another to tensions, not the least of which tensions in Arab states at the solidification of a Jewish state in their region. This all led to a preemptive attack by Israel against an Egyptian airforce not ready. There are so many conflicting reports of what happened, but two days before the war the Israeli defense minister visited America and attempted to escalate the threat of war by Egypt to Israel. The Americans could not corroborate the intelligence and the defense minister while there was visibly upset at his own government's attempts at escalation. President Johnson was said to be furious as well at this event and previous events of Israel over reactions to events. Still, Israel though said to overreact to these events had dug 10,000 graves in anticipation of the massive casualties of war.

Regardless, the preemptive strike changed the make-up of the middle east, Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria, the Sinai peninsula and Gaza strip from Egypt, and the West Bank from Jordan. The casualties also tell the story: The Israeli casualties far from Israel's anticipated heavy estimates, were quite low, with 338 soldiers lost on the Egyptian front, 550 dead and 2,400 wounded on the Jordanian front and 141 on the Syrian front. Egypt lost 80% of its military equipment, 10,000 soldiers and 1,500 officers killed, 5,000 soldiers and 500 officers captured, and 20,000 wounded. Jordan suffered 700 killed and around 2,500 wounded.Syria lost 2,500 dead and 5,000 wounded, half the tanks and almost all the artillery positioned in the Golan Heights were destroyed.

The Six Day War clearly changed the make-up of the boundaries and the power structure of the middle east. It might even be understandable for Israel's belief that they would be attacked (and though we know what preemptive attacks accomplish), it is not understandable in the wake of all the countries involved today to recognize Israel as country and Yasser Arafat's recognition in 1988 of a two state solution. UN resolution 242 was passed in the aftermath of the war that hostilities should cease, withdrawal of Israel's armed forces of territories occupied in the recent conflict. Egypt retained control of the Sinai peninsula in 1978 because of the Camp David accords and returned the Gaza strip in 2005. But still maintaining some control and conducts military operations there frequently. And it also seems to indicate it will not give up the West Bank because of many Jewish settlements there.

In this writer's opinion hostilities will never cease until the borders are respected and Palestine is recognized as its own independent country and given control to run itself accordingly. If not, Palestine will continue to elect governments like Hamas.