The Powder Keg of the Middle East

By June 1967, tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors had reached a breaking point. The young Jewish state, surrounded by hostile nations, faced existential threats daily. Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s decision to blockade the Straits of Tiran—Israel’s vital Red Sea shipping route—and his subsequent expulsion of UN peacekeepers from the Sinai Peninsula signaled imminent conflict. Syria, emboldened by Soviet support, intensified artillery barrages from the Golan Heights onto Israeli farms below. Jordan’s King Hussein, despite secret peace overtures to Israel, found himself pressured into joining an Arab military alliance.

The world held its breath as Israel’s cabinet debated preemptive action. Defense Minister Moshe Dayan and Chief of Staff Yitzhak Rabin knew their tiny nation couldn’t survive a prolonged multi-front war. Their strategy: a lightning strike to neutralize threats before Arab forces could mobilize.

Dawn of the Six Days

At 7:45 AM on June 5, Israeli jets screamed across Egyptian airfields in Operation Focus, destroying 90% of Egypt’s air force on the ground within hours. The surprise attack proved devastating—runways cratered, planes burning, and Arab air superiority erased before noon. Simultaneously, Israeli armor surged into the Sinai, outmaneuvering numerically superior Egyptian forces through brilliant tactical coordination.

The Golan Heights presented a nightmare scenario—Syrian gunners held the high ground, their artillery dominating approaches. General David Elazar’s original night attack plan was scrapped as ceasefire pressures mounted. At 11:30 AM on June 9, Israeli bulldozers carved paths through minefields while tanks climbed under withering fire. Syrian resistance crumbled as Israeli troops reached the plateau’s edge by dusk.

Nasser’s Downfall and the Arab World in Crisis

In Cairo, Nasser’s confidence shattered with each battlefield report. By June 9, Egypt had lost 85% of its military hardware—320 tanks, 420 artillery pieces, and 10,000 vehicles now sat in Israeli hands. The streets buzzed with rumors of coups as deserting soldiers flooded home. That evening, a haggard Nasser appeared on television, shocking the Arab world by resigning:

“The Arab nation existed before Nasser and will remain after Nasser… I bear full responsibility.”

The reaction was unprecedented. Millions poured into Cairo’s streets, weeping and demanding his return. Similar demonstrations erupted from Baghdad to Algiers. Even Jordan’s King Hussein pleaded: “The battle has just begun.” Western observers noted the authenticity—no government could stage such spontaneous outpouring. Within 24 hours, Nasser rescinded his resignation but never recovered politically. The pan-Arab unity dream lay in ruins.

Superpower Poker at the UN

As Israeli tanks advanced, diplomats clashed in New York. Soviet Ambassador Nikolai Fedorenko accused Israel of violating ceasefires, falsely claiming Quneitra’s fall to provoke UN action. The real drama unfolded on June 10 when Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin used the Washington-Moscow hotline:

“If hostilities don’t stop within hours, we’ll take unilateral action… This risks catastrophic U.S.-Soviet conflict.”

President Lyndon Johnson’s team verified the unprecedented threat—the Kremlin had invoked “military action.” While Johnson responded diplomatically, the U.S. Sixth Fleet steamed toward Israel as silent deterrence. With superpowers on the brink, Israel agreed to cease hostilities at 6:00 PM on June 10—exactly 130 hours after the war began.

Territorial and Psychological Earthquake

Israel’s gains were staggering: the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Golan Heights—territory 3.5 times its prewar size. Strategically, the victories were transformative:
– Sinai provided buffer against Egypt
– Golan Heights ended Syrian shelling of Galilee
– West Bank eliminated Jordan’s chokehold on Israel’s narrow waist

Human costs were equally lopsided: 10,000 Arab soldiers dead versus Israel’s 983. The psychological impact proved more enduring—Arab humiliation festered, while Israel’s “invincibility” myth took root.

Seeds of Future Conflicts

Israel’s postwar decisions set the stage for decades of strife:
– June 28, 1967: Annexation of East Jerusalem
– Settlements: First Jewish outposts established in the West Bank
– Refugees: 30,000 Palestinians fled anew, joining 1948 exiles

Emerging from obscurity, Yasser Arafat infiltrated the West Bank, organizing resistance. His Fatah movement’s stand at Karameh (March 1968)—where guerrillas repelled Israeli forces alongside Jordanian troops—catapulted him to leadership. Meanwhile, Arab leaders met in Khartoum, issuing the “Three No’s”: No peace, no recognition, no negotiations with Israel.

The Long Shadow

Nasser’s decline accelerated—his former deputy Abdel Hakim Amer’s attempted coup ended in suicide. When Nasser died in 1970, successor Anwar Sadat inherited a broken nation. Observers dismissed him as a placeholder, but Sadat harbored a quiet resolve to reclaim Sinai—a determination that would erupt in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

For Israel, the swift victory bred overconfidence. Dayan’s belief that “Arab fear” guaranteed security proved tragically shortsighted. The occupied territories became demographic and moral quagmires, while Palestinian nationalism, once fragmented, found unified purpose under Arafat.

The Six-Day War didn’t end in June 1967—it simply reset the Middle East’s conflict parameters. Its legacy persists in every checkpoint, settlement, and peace proposal today, reminding us that six days of fighting can echo across six decades—and counting.