Israel has survived the Holocaust and the War of Independence. A miracle and a fulfilled promise from the Bible: “The Lord has scattered his people to the winds. But now he is gathering them again.” (Jeremiah 31:10). More about the birth of the Israeli state in part 1: Between Longing and Reality
But is Israel’s peace now assured? Will the world give this people, after all the suffering, the chance to develop? And how is the young state using its opportunities?
About triumphs, joy of life and achievements despite attacks and threats. Until the event that once again calls everything into question. Until today…
For almost 20 years, the young state of Israel enjoys a fragile peace. Years of hard work, years of growth. And again years of hope.
By 1958, Israel’s population rises to 2 million, mainly due to the immigration of around 850,000 Jews. The new citizens are accommodated in the abandoned Arab villages, in former British barracks or tent camps. Practical buildings are hastily erected. Consumer goods such as food, fuel, furniture and clothing have to be rationed.
The Six-Day War
But then the next war looms. In the spring of 1967, Egypt closes the Strait of Tiran to Israeli shipping, forces the withdrawal of UNEF troops from the Sinai and marches up to Israel’s border with 1,000 tanks and almost 100,000 soldiers. Northern Israeli settlements are attacked from the Syrian Golan Heights. Syrian President Nureddin al-Atassi declares as early as 1966: “We want a total war without restrictions, a war that will destroy the Zionist base.” Egypt’s President Gamal Abdel Nasser agrees: “Our fundamental goal is the destruction of Israel. The Arab people want to fight.”
Without seeking the approval of the USA, Israel decides to launch a surprise attack by its air force. The Israeli pilots fly below Egyptian radar coverage on June 5, 1967. Without warning and within a few hours, most of the 385 modern Egyptian aircrafts are destroyed. Israeli ground troops then advance against Egyptian positions with 700 tanks and 70,000 soldiers. In the east, Israel liberates the Old City of Jerusalem from the Jordanians (see Ammunition Hill). For the first time in two thousand years, Israelis have unhindered access to their sacred Western Wall.
At the end of the war, Israel controls the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the historic Old City of Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. The conquered territories provide the country with strategically important buffer zones, that offer greater security.
The Arabs are stunned. They believed the propaganda lies of Egyptian radio, which spoke of their own victories during these days. And they are seeking revenge. In August 1967, two months after the ceasefire was signed, a summit conference of all Arab states is held. In the Khartoum Resolution, they define: “No peace with Israel, no negotiations with Israel, no recognition of Israel.”
For the Israelis, the unexpectedly quick victory is like a miracle, a gift from God (see movie Against All Odds). And a milestone, a turning point in Israel’s history. Jerusalem becomes the eternal and undivided capital of Israel. Jews, who were expelled from Judea and Samaria during the War of Independence return and begin to rebuild the settlements, that were destroyed at the time, such as Gush Etzion. The Israeli economy flourishes.
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