The Gathering Storm: Egypt on the Eve of War

On the night of May 14, 1967, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser convened an urgent meeting with his trusted advisors, including Vice President Anwar Sadat and Field Marshal Abdel Hakim Amer. Soviet military intelligence had just arrived, accompanied by alarming reports from Damascus: Israel had allegedly mobilized its reserves and amassed 15 brigades along the Syrian border, preparing for a large-scale offensive between May 15 and 22. Egypt had less than 24 hours to respond. The weight of this decision rested solely on Nasser’s shoulders.

At 49, Nasser was at the height of his power. A charismatic leader who had risen from humble origins, he had overthrown King Farouk in a 1952 coup and transformed Egypt through sweeping reforms. Under his rule, the economy flourished, with unemployment and inflation at historic lows. But it was the 1956 Suez Crisis that catapulted him onto the global stage as a symbol of anti-colonial resistance.

The Shadow of Suez: Nasser’s Rise and Arab Nationalism

The Suez Crisis began with Nasser’s bold nationalization of the canal in July 1956, a move that stunned Britain and France. Both nations, determined to reclaim their imperial dominance, conspired with Israel to orchestrate an invasion. The plan was simple: Israel would attack the Sinai Peninsula, prompting Anglo-French forces to “intervene” as peacekeepers. But the scheme unraveled when Nasser scuttled 40 ships to block the canal, turning global opinion against the invaders.

Facing condemnation from the U.S., USSR, and Arab world, Britain and France withdrew in humiliation. Nasser emerged as a hero, celebrated from Algiers to Jakarta as a champion of decolonization. To many Arabs, he was a modern-day Saladin, poised to unite the Arab world against Israel. Yet behind the rhetoric, Nasser knew the truth: Egypt’s military had been crushed in just 100 hours. For the next decade, he bided his time, rebuilding his forces with Soviet aid.

The Tinderbox Ignites: Escalation in May 1967

By 1967, Egypt’s military had been transformed. With 1,200 tanks (including 500 advanced Soviet T-54s and T-55s) and 400 fighter jets (130 of them cutting-edge MiG-21s), Nasser finally felt ready to challenge Israel. The pretext came with Syria’s warnings of an impending Israeli strike. After a night of tense deliberations, Nasser made his move.

On May 15, Egyptian troops paraded through Cairo, passing the U.S. Embassy before advancing toward the Suez Canal. The next day, Nasser delivered a bombshell: he demanded the immediate withdrawal of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF), a peacekeeping contingent stationed in Sinai since 1956. To Arab leaders like Jordan’s King Hussein, UNEF’s presence was a humiliation—proof that Nasser “hid behind the UN’s skirts.” Now, he was done waiting.

The Domino Effect: From Diplomacy to War

The expulsion of UNEF sent shockwaves through the region. Israel, interpreting the move as a prelude to invasion, declared a full mobilization. Nasser escalated further on May 22, blockading the Straits of Tiran—Israel’s vital Red Sea shipping route. For Israel, this was an act of war. Diplomatic efforts collapsed, and by June 5, the Six-Day War had begun.

The conflict would end in disaster for Egypt: Israel captured the Sinai, Gaza, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights in a stunning blitzkrieg. Nasser’s gamble had backfired, shattering his image as the invincible leader of Arab unity.

Legacy: The End of an Era

The events of May 1967 marked a turning point. Nasser’s aura of invincibility faded, though his influence endured as a symbol of Arab defiance. The war reshaped Middle Eastern borders and entrenched Israeli occupation, fueling decades of conflict. Yet the seeds of this catastrophe were sown in those fateful hours of decision-making—a reminder of how quickly diplomacy can unravel when pride, power, and mistrust collide.

Today, the lessons of 1967 resonate as regional tensions persist. Nasser’s story is a cautionary tale of ambition, miscalculation, and the high stakes of leadership in a volatile world.