Do the Benefits Outweigh the Problems Brought by Retaining Territory Won in the Six-Day War?
"Our aim... is the full restoration of the rights of the Palestinian people. In other words, we aim at the destruction of the State of Israel. The immediate aim: perfection of Arab military might. The national aim: the eradication of Israel." (Katz, pp. 10-11). These words, spoken by the Egyptian president Abdel Nasser, sum up Arab goals in the Six-Day War. However, as great as the forces of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon combined, Israel was still able to emerge from the 1967 War victorious. In fact so victorious that Israel was able to break through enemy lines and crush the coordinated attack of the Arab countries, all within six days. However, shortly after the six days a cease-fire was called and the Six-Day War was brought to an end. This was followed by elation in both the state of Israel and in Jewish communities throughout the world.
Jordan: An Evening Portrait
Boycott Israel-poster
Map of Israel, the Palestinian territories (West B...Not only had Israel successfully defended itself from the onslaught of several Arab nations, it had expanded its prior borders to include much new land with many possibilities. These new territories, however, were to become both an asset and a liability to the state of Israel.
The success of the Six-Day War brought along many important results. For one, Israel's quick and easy victory against a much larger force brought prestige to the Israeli army and proved that the state of Israel was a force to be reckoned with. During the war, the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) also seized territories from attacking countries, including the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. These gains nearly doubled the size of Israel. The capture of...