A History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Week 6: From War to War: The Suez Crisis and the 1967 War

The Post 1948 Context• Armistice agreements: Egypt

(Feb 1949), Lebanon (March 1949), Jordan (April 1949), Syria ( July 1949)

• Failure of Peace Talks, 1949-51• World Powers: Maintain arms

balance• Tripartite Declaration (US, UK,

France)• Free Officer Revolution, Egypt• Cross border raids

UN Acting Mediator Ralph Bunche

The Suez Crisis• Nasser’s Egypt leading role in Non Alignment

Movement and Arab world• Nasser funds and supports Algerian rebels• Closer French-Israeli ties• Increase of tensions between Israel and

neighbours and cross border raids and counter strikes, esp Feb 1955 Gaza Strip raid

• Nasser’s Czech arms deal,1955, angers the West

• Nasser nationalises Suez Canal in July 1956. • France, Britain and Israel “collude” against

Nasser in Operation Musketeer. • Outcome: Nasser’s increased prestige; Israeli

war experience

Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser

David Ben-Gurion and Charles De Gaulle

The Road to the 1967 War• Israel begins its nuclear programme

(prob 1957)• Establishment of Fatah, 1959. Nasser

establishes PLO in 1964• Fatah carries out sabotage operations

from 1965• Israeli-Syrian clashes, esp over

irrigation of demilitarised zones and Israel’s water carrier project.

• Syria attempts to divert water source. Clashes throughout the year

• Third Arab Summit at Casablanca – staged plan to combat Israel

• Baathist Coup in Syria in 1966

Fatah is Established by Yasser Arafat in 1959

Israel’s nuclear reactor near Dimona

The Road to the 1967 War pt2• Tensions expand beyond Syria and into Jordan. Samu incident• Escalation of tension with Syria. Israel downs 6 MIG Fighters after

shelling at DMZs, April 1967• Soviets (mis)inform Nasser that Israel planning large-scale attack on

Syria• Egypt expels UNEF forces from Sinai• Nasser closes Straights of Tiran, 23 May 1967 and moves 130,000

soldiers into Sinai• May 28/29. Isr PM Levi Eshkol’s blundering speech; Nasser’s

blistering speech threatening Israel• Israel public mood highly sombre• International efforts to open Straights of Tiran fail• Moshe Dayan joins Israeli cabinet on 2 June

The War of Just Six Days• 5 June, Israel launches pre-emptive strike

against Egyptian airforce. A few hours later attacks against Syrian and Jordanian airforces

• Land attacks against Egypt follows air Operation. Takes Israel several days to reach Suez canal.

• 7th June Nasser refuses ceasefire. Israel in control of all of Sinai by June 8.

• Liberty: 8th of June Israel attacks USS liberty. 34 killed.

• Israel takes Jerusalem between 5-7 June. And West Bank 6-8 June. Jordan legion put up stiff resistance but ultimately lose and forced to retreat.

• Operation Hammer – Attack on Golan Heights started on June 9. Response to Syrian artillery shelling. Ceasefire, June 10.

King Hussein announces loss of Jerusalem

Immediate Consequences of 1967 War• Israel occupies Jerusalem, West Bank, Gaza Strip,

Golan Heights and Sinai• Land for peace formula – UN Resolution 242. • June 19: Israeli cabinet secretly decides to exchange

Sinai and Golan Heights for peace. Gaza Strip, however, to Israel with refugees resettled as part of regional plan.

• Motion passed by 1 vote. Nothing decided on West bank. Called for Jerusalem to remain in Israeli sovereignty.

• Allon Plan: Never adopted but unofficial Labor policy: Independent Arab state in WB (or rather Jordan) surrounded by Israeli territory – settlements in Jordan Valley, Jerusalem and Hebron Hills.

• 28 June: “annexation” of East Jerusalem. • September 1: Arab League Summit at Khartoum – 3

noes (negotiation, recognition, peace)

‘Withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from

territories occupied in the recent conflict…

Termination of all claims or states of belligerency

and respect for and acknowledgement of the

sovereignty, territorial integrity and political

independence of every State in the area and their

right to live in peace within secure and

recognized boundaries free from threats or acts

of force’.UN Security Council

Resolution 242

Long-term Consequences of 1967 War

• Deligitimisation of Pan Arab nationalism

• Rise of Palestinian particularism• International terrorism as method

against Israel • Israel in occupation of Palestinian

territories of West Bank and Gaza Strip

• The growth of Settlements in occupied territories

• Peace talks based on “1967 lines”• US relations with Israel intensify

Arafat leads PLO with Fatah as largest faction

Discussion Questions

• Why Was Israel’s victory in the 1967 War so overwhelming?

• Why was the 1956 Suez War a pivotal moment in the Arab-Israeli Conflict?

• How was the Cold War a factor during the 1967 War?• What were the main causes of the 1967 War? • Was the 1967 War an offensive or a defensive war?• How was the 1967 War a definitive turning point in

the Arab-Israeli Conflict?