Six Day War Celia Easton Koehler Cosima Potestio

Six Day War Celia Easton Koehler, Cosima Potestio and Hallie Frost

Israeli Contentions The Israeli's saw their attack as a defensive measure for threat of the three "impending" Arab nations ( Syria, Jordan and Egypt). Example: "We shall not enter Palestine with its soil covered in sand, we shall enter it with its soil saturated in blood" - President of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, March 8 th 1965 Israel felt like they were under attack when Egypt ended their UN agreement. Egypt blockaded Israel's port of Eilat, which was seen as an active offensive measure against Israel.

Arab Contentions “(this battle will be)…followed by more severe battles until Palestine is liberated and the Zionist presence ended. ” Syria’s information minister Mahmoud Zubi. April 8 th 1967 ^AKA Arab rejection of Israel The Egyptians did not want the UN in the Suez Region (Israel did as a protective measure). As a result Gamal Nasser, leader of Egypt, ordered a concentration of Egyptian military forces in the sensitive Suez zone.

Key Players Gamal Abdel Nasser. Egypt's newly elected President had alienated several Arab States by attempting to place himself as most affluent in the Middle East. However, Egypt was still the most powerful and with significant connections to Soviet Russia- who was supplying arms- was the Arab nations best bet in crushing Israel. Nasser was however hessitant in attacking because he knew that only a unification of the states would have a chance at the advanced Israeli military. However by May of 1964 he declared the time had come to destroy the Jewish State. King Hussein bin Talal. Jordan. King Hussein of Jordan, had assassination attempts on him ordered by Nasser, but still sought a peace in the Middle East and although had good ties with both the U. S and Britain, appeased Nasser by signing Jordan's army and fate over to Egyptian control.

The Ba'ath party. Syria. The ruling party of Syria, maintained the highest anti-Israeli sentements in the Middle East, most likely to appease their large Sunni majority. Although tension remained along the border, conflict did not truly begin until Syria attempted to divert the head rivers of the Jordan and was stopped by Israeli ariel bombardment. The Soviet Union While initially supportive of Israel at the time of its conception, by the 1960's the communist nation had realigned themselves with the Arab states and acted as a beneficiary to both Egypt and Syria, supplying them with modern Tanks and ammunition. The United States Bogged down in Vietnam and the Civil Rights Movement, the US was hard-pressed to be involved on another front and instead hoped to reach a diplomatic solution- which failed. Israel was dissapointed in lack of US support.

Key Battles a. The 1967 battle of Abu-Ageila was a military confrontation between the Israeli and Egyptian military, (a part of the Six-Day war). b. The Egyptian defeat here was an important factor in the loss of the entire Sinai Peninsula to Israeli forces in the following days of the Six-Day War. a. On June 7 and 8, the Israeli leadership debated about whether the Golan Heights should be attacked as well; the attack on Syria was planned for June 9. b. Victory for Israel

Sources!!!!!!!!!! http: //www. sixdaywar. co. uk/reminiscences. htm http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Battle_of_Abu-Ageila_(1967 http: //upload. wikimedia. org/wikipedia/en/f/f 0/Soldiers_Western_Wall _1967. jpg