Events leading to the outbreak of the Six Day War in 1967

Nasser:

  • Made threatening speeches to Israel
  • Mobilized Arab forces on “Sharm El Sheikh close to the Israeli border”.
  • Wanted to prove his competence to other Arab nations and leaders
  • Closed the Gulf of Aquaba to cut off Israeli shipping to Red Sea
  • “Ordered UN forces… to leave”- peace negotiations difficult

Israel:

  • Patriotic and eager to fight for beliefs and new nation
  • Told US of plans to attack, US didn't want to be involved
  • Sent forces home so Egyptians wouldn’t expect an attack
  • PLO campaign of violence put Israel on high alert

USSR:

  • Supplied Egypt with arms
  • Provided false information that Israel was aggressive
  • Arabs also made “claims that the Israelis were building up forces for an attack.

EVENTS OF SIX-DAY-WAR

  • 5 June 1967
  • USA said they didn’t care if Israel attack- no longer wanted to be involved- this gave Israel the ‘okay’
  • Egypt Syria & Jordan vs. Israel (surprise attack)
  • Arabs were losing throughout the war since they were caught off guard
  • Arabs (Egypt) mobilized it’s army to the Israeli border to taunt the Israelis- Nasser doubted Israel and thought they wouldn’t fight a war on two fronts
  • Israel decided to attack- wiped out Egyptian air force
  • Israel- good air force, tactics, new the routs by heart and etc
  • Let out air in jeeps- could go through sand easily were Arabs couldn’t reach
  • Hydration- more Arabs dies form dehydration than from the actually war
  • Spies- Eli Cohen- told Israeli that Syrian weapons and etc were all hidden under trees
  • Soviet Union supplied Arabs with surface-to-air missiles
  • Israelis were all very proud and motivated- fighting for their home
  • Fought over vast area and Israel pushed back into Sinai desert and the Golan Heights
  • 1966
  • Israel suffered from a number of simultaneous attacks from the other Arabian countries e.g. Syria, Jordan
  • 1967
  • Nasser increased threatening speeches against Israel (Backup of the source)
  • May 15th –
  • Nasser sent Egyptian troops into Sinai Peninsula to block off the Israeli border
  • May 18th – Nasser demanded the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping force
  • (Backup of the source)
  • May 22 – Nasser closed the Gulf of Aqauba to block off Israeli ships
  • May 31st – US agreed to not interfere with the Israel’s idea of surprise attack on Egypt
  • In preparation of the war –
  • Israel gained military support from the US
  • Egypt gained military support from the USSR

Describe how the 6 day war changed the situation in the Middle East:

Consequences

Gaining of land of Israel:

Israel conquered Sinai, Jerusalem, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip and West Bank

“new boundaries gave Israel a great deal of new territory. This is important because the population continued to grow” -> more land for housing and development -> gave Israelis more confidence

Jewish settlements, did not return the west bank (settlements: 52% in West Bank, 30% in Gaza Strip)

Arab consequences

Many Palestinians moved out (350,000)

Jerusalem fully under Israeli rule -> arabs angry

Palestinians lost their trust in the other arab nations -> decide to handle the situation themselves -> PLO rise in power (Arafat the Fatah leader continued to increase power) -> PLO became based in Jordan -> Nasser was humiliated and Egypt lost 80% of their weapons (predicted that Egypt needs 10 years of recovery) -> Egypt isolated for the “go-it-alone policy” from Sadat.

Arabs caught off guard -> higher alert

Increase in terrorism -> Munich Olympics 1972

Foreign intervention:

Resolution 242: land for peace (UN wanted Israel to give back the land in return of peace from Arabs, but the Arabs rejected this proposal -> tension between both sides)

How did Israel defeat the Arab states in the Six Day War?

Introduction

1st Point - pre-empted attack - source

- Israeli Airforce struck first without warning

- Because Nasser made speeches etc threatening Israel

2nd point - Israeli airforce preparation - planned 11 years before

- Intense training

- Intel - they knew where all bases were - trained men on exact instructions

- Gain air superiority

- Destroyed all airforce in 5 hours

3rd point - tactics

- Got rid of biggest threat - Egypt then they turned on Syria in the Golan Heights

- Used Nepalm bombs - destroyed the egyptian tanks in the Sinai

- Sent soldiers on holiday days before the attack - Egypt wasn't expecting the attack

- Hydration

4th point - spy - Eli Cohen

- Befriended the Syrians gave them advice and told them to plant trees near bunkers etc so that men didn't get dehydrated and hide bunkers

- With trees pants near bunkers the Israeli's knew where to attack in the Golan Heights