Today in 1967, the Six-Day War reached its peak with the liberation of Jerusalem.
In the mid-60s, Israeli relations with the Arab states began to deteriorate, against the background of the establishment of the PLO, a push by the Soviet Union and military incidents. Tension reached its peak in early 1967, with air battles against Syria, rhetorical threats, and an Egyptian blocking of the Tiran Straits; both sides began mobilizing large-scale forces and preparing for war. The atmosphere in Israel was tense and Prime Minister Eshkol’s stuttering image did not contribute to the matter, but the army commanders were confident in their strength and pressured the government to launch a surprise pre-emptive attack. The attack began on June 5 with ‘Operation Moked’ and the destruction of the Arab air forces, which promised Israel success on all land fronts. Sinai was conquered within 4 days, and the Golan Heights within two days; Jordan decided to join the war, and was struck with the occupation of Judea and Samaria and the liberation of East Jerusalem. A ceasefire was signed 6 days later, with several thousand dead and wounded to Israel and tens of thousands of dead on the Arab side. The crushing Israeli victory completely changed the situation in the Middle East, with the shattering of the pan-Arab movement and the decline of the old generation, and the rise of Palestinian nationalism and terrorism. Israel itself has entered a euphoric period, and has undergone a significant image change in the eyes of the world.
Photo Source: Wikipedia
