We explain what the six -day war was and what its causes and its consequences were. In addition, its relationship with the Arab-Isaeli conflict.
What was the six -day war?
The six-day war was an armed military confrontation between Israel and Egypt, within the framework of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Israel's army launched a surprise air attack on Egypt On June 5, 1967 and six days later he achieved victory. As a result, the state of Israel took possession of the Peninsula of the Sinai, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and the Golán highs.
From this military confrontation, both The United States as the Soviet Union began to get involved directly in conflicts in the Middle East . Since then, the polarization of the Cold War began to influence the political future of the region.
Background of the Six Day War
The six-day war was unleashed within the framework of the Arab-Israeli conflict, initiated with the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 over the territory of the British Palestinian mandate. Since then, Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq were confronted with Israel and disputed control over different regions.
The First Arab-Israeli War (1948-1949) ended with the victory of Israel and its occupation of almost 80 % of the old Palestinian territory (instead of 55 % suggested by the United Nations Organization). The result was Forced expulsion from the Arab population of Palestine and its migration as refugees to neighboring countries.
In 1956, when Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez channel for the benefit of his country's economy and to the detriment of foreign economic interests, the state of Israel supported the United Kingdom and France and facilitated its invasion of the Sinai Peninsula (Egyptian territory).
The United States government repudiated the invasion and the UN intervened. Finally, after a series of negotiations, foreign troops withdrew from the Peninsula, which was occupied by the United Nations emergency forces.
La Paz between Israel and its neighboring countries was unstable. In the next decade and within the framework of the Cold War, some Arab countries decided to strengthen their relations with the USSR, while Israel became the strategic ally of the United States in the region.
Six -day War Development
On May 18, 1967, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser asked the UN Secretary General, U Thant, to withdraw the troops from the emergency forces of the Egyptian territory. In turn, he began to seilitarize the region and its border with Israel. In this environment of growing tension, Egypt received Soviet support and neighboring Arab countries (Syria, Iraq and Jordan), while The United States publicly supported Israel .
On June 5, 1967, Israel launched the Focus Operation: an air surprise attack that destroyed in two days 286 Egyptian war planes and 130 airplanes parked in the bases of Jordan, Syria and Iraq. This allowed earth troops to move on Egypt quickly and effectively. On June 7, the Israeli army occupied the Egyptian zone of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, on June 8 it reached the Suez Canal and on June 9 completed its conquest of the Sinai Peninsula.
At the beginning of the attacks, beyond proclaimed public support, the United States declared itself neutral to the UN, but at the same time carried out negotiations with its ally Israel to control the development of war.
For its part, the USSR feared that this possible defeat would affect its political influence in the region and that the loss of military resources would generate, in turn, the fall of the regimes of Egypt and Syria, which were its main allies. Therefore, the USSR demanded that the UN order the end of hostilities.
Finally, The high on fire was scheduled for 6 pm on June 10 . The Israeli troops took a few more hours to finish occupying two strategic territories of the north of the region: the Golán and Mount Herman's highs, from whose top Damascus is seen directly, the capital city of Syria.
Six -day War Result
With the occupation of the new territories, The state of Israel went from having about 20,000 square kilometers to 102,400 square kilometers . Despite the UN claims and the opposition of the great powers, the Israeli Parliament agreed on June 23 the annexation of the Arab zone of the city of Jerusalem.
In August 1967, the Arab countries gathered in conference to determine the policy to be followed regarding the Israeli victory of the six -day war. On September 1 they issued the Jardum statement in which they established their policy with respect to Israel, known as The resolution of “the three no”: No To peace with Israel, No to the recognition of the state of Israel, No To negotiations with Israel . This policy remained active until the Second Arab-Israeli War (1973).
For its part, the UN declared on November 22, 1967, resolution 242. It stipulates that Israel must withdraw from the territories occupied during the six -day war and the right of each nation in the region of living “in peace inside the interior of safe borders” is affirmed.
Israel's victory in 1967 triggered an essential aspect of the Arab-Israeli problem that remains until today: the situation of the occupied territories of Gaza, the West Bank and the Arab part of Jerusalem.
UN declaration on the conflict in the East
During the six -day war, the UN was against the Israeli occupation of the Egyptian territories and protested before the acquisition of territories through the war. At the end of the conflict, the UN Security Council demanded the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territories occupied to Egypt. This statement legitimized Egyptian claims but did not achieve a real change in Israeli politics.
Resolution 242 of the UN Security Council
November 22, 1967The Security Council,
Expressing his constant concern for the serious situation in the Middle East.
Insisting on the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territories through war and the need to work for a fair and lasting peace, in which all the states of the area can live safely.
Also insisting that all Member States, by accepting the United Nations Charter, have contracted the commitment to act in accordance with article 2 of the Charter,
1. states that the compliance with the principles of the letter requires that a fair and lasting peace be established in the next East, which includes the application of the following two principles:
a) Withdrawal of the Israeli armed forces of territories that occupied during the recent conflict.
b) termination of all belligerence situations or allegations of its existence, and respect and recognition of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all states in the area and their right to live in peace within safe and recognized borders and free and free of threat or acts of force.
2. It also affirms the need to:
a) Guarantee the freedom of navigation through the international navigation routes of the area.
b) Achieve a fair solution of the refugee problem.
c) Guarantee the territorial inviolability and political independence of all states in the area, adopting measures that include the creation of demilitarized areas.
3. Ask the Secretary General to designate a special representative that Mar Che to the Middle East, to establish and maintain contacts with the states interested in order to promote an agreement and to help in the efforts to achieve a peaceful and accepted solution, in accordance with the provisions and principles of this resolution.
4. Ask the Secretary General to report as soon as possible to the Security Council on the progress of the efforts of the special representative.
Unanimously approved in 1382a. session.
Continue with:
References
- Beinin, J., & Hajjar, L. (2014). Palestine, Israel and The Arab-Israeli Conflict. Middle East Research and Information Project.
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023). “Six-Day War”. Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/
- Palmowski, J. (2000). “Israel” and “Six Day War”. To Dictionary of Twentieth-Century World History. Oxford University Press.
- Van Dijk, R., Gray, WG, Savranskaya, S., Suri, J., & Zhai, Q. (eds.). (2013). “Six Day War.” Encyclopedia of the Cold War. Routledge.
- United Nations Security Council (November, 22, 1967). Resolution 242. Available at: https://digitallibrary.un.org/
