The origins of the 6 day war -June 1967.

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AS and A Level History

ISRAEL AND THE ARAB STATES, 1967-1989

THE ORIGINS OF THE 6 DAY WAR -JUNE 1967

The origins of the 6 Day War lay in:  

1 )The 1956 settlement after the SUEZ War in 1956  which ended with

British-French evacuation from the Canal Zone & Israeli withdrawal from Sinai & the   Gaza Strip. Israeli forces replaced by UNEF which was stationed only on Egyptian side of the border .

Israel would not allow deployment of UN forces on its soil.

President Nasser had emerged from Suez War with his prestige enhanced -Russia financed the building of the Aswan Dam & shipped arms & military equipment to Egypt.

Israel not allowed to keep the territory taken from Egypt during the war; all that she gained was the right of passage through the Straits of Tiran linking the Gulf of Aquaba with the Red Sea. That agreement was the price of her withdrawal -keeping open the Straits of Tiran to her shipping was a vital interest which she would fight to defend

2) the long-term Israeli defence build-up between 1956 and 1966 to be prepared to war on all its borders:

-consisted of strategic defence based on

i) armed settlements

ii )ability to fight offensive war -carry fight to the enemy. Could not afford purely      defensive strategy as she was too exposed to attack

iii) this strategy based on

-air superiority

-highly mechanised infantry

& airborne commando forces

iv) acquired sophisticated weaponry -Mirage Jets & US Hawk missiles -nuclear technology

In contrast, Arab states

a) lacked Israel's co-ordinated defence strategy. They may have had Russian tanks & MIG fighters but they were not as well trained in how to handle this equipment

b) Arab world was not united -Nasser sought to harness forces of radical nationalism in the region behind his leadership & against traditional regimes -Saudi Arabia, the Gulf.

3) Israeli foreign policy had created international climate favourable to her position -was winning propaganda war against Arabs in West by presenting herself as a David facing Goliath.

BUILD-UP TO THE 6 DAY WAR

Lay in clashes between Syria & Israel from autumn of 1966-spring of 1967.

Russians told Egyptians in May 1967 that Israel was preparing to attack Syria. This was false.

What was Russian objective?

-May have been trying to bolster Syrian government.

-May have hoped that fears about Israeli intentions would draw Egypt & Syria into a defence pact

-USSR did not believe that Israel would actually respond to Egyptian action by going to war -US would restrain her.

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NASSER responded by sending troops into Sinai & on 16th May demanded the withdrawal of UNEF force.

Over next week crisis escalated as Nasser sent troops up to Sinai border with Israel & into Sharm el-Sheikh

Then on 22 May he closed Gulf of Aquaba to Israeli shipping, regarded by Israel as a cause of war -a "causus belli".

US talked about a multilateral naval force to protect maritime rights in the Gulf of Aquaba- wanted to avoid deterioration in relations with Arabs & urged Israelis to show restraint.

Pressure building on ...

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The origins of the 6 day war -June 1967.
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