The Middle East 1956-1979

Kevin J. Benoy

Conflict Continues• Since the creation of the state of

Israel and the subsequent Arab reaction, the continuing dispute has been central to international politics.

• In 1948, Israel’s neighbours attacked it.

• In 1956 Israel, with the collusion of France & Britain, attacked Egypt and, after quick victory, had to abandon its conquests in accordance with the cease fire agreement.

• Arab raids against Israel stopped for a time, but the Palestinian refugee problem remained unsolved.

The Early 1960s

• Border raids resumed.• During the 1960s a new

Palestinian liberation movement called al-Fatah was formed, committed to using violent tactics.

• The hostility of Arab states toward Israel also increased.

The Early 1960’s• In 1966, Hafez Assad, the

defense minister of Syria said:– “We say: we shall never call for

nor accept peace. We shall only accept war and the restoration of the usurped land. We have resolved to drench this land with your blood; to oust you, aggressors, and throw you into the sea for good. We must meet as soon as possible and fight a single liberation war on the level of the whole area against Israel, Imperialism, and all the enemies of the people.”

The Early 1960s.

• In 1964, Nasser said: “future prospects are for war against Israel, for which we shall set the time and place.”

• Given the numerical advantages of the Arabs, Israel’s future looked bleak.

The Early 1960s

• Replying to guerilla raids from Arab territories, Israeli counter-raids were launched.

• Syrian shelling of Israeli settlements from the Golan Heights also brought military retaliation.

The Early 1960s• Nasser insisted on the

removal of UN peacekeeping forces in the Sinai.

• Egyptian troops took up their positions as they left.

• As he did a decade earlier, Nasser gain sealed off the Gulf of Aqaba by moving artillery into position at Sharm-el-Sheikh.

• In 1967, Egypt had 100,000 troops and 1300 tanks in Sinai; Jordan, Syria and Iraq also seemed to be preparing for action.

The 6 Day War

• On June 5, 1967, without warning, the Israelis launched the greatest mobile attack since WW2.

• Surprise, discipline and superb leadership brought startling results.

The 6 Day War

• The Egyptian air force was destroyed by Israeli fighter bombers within 2 hours – giving crucial air superiority.

• El Arish fell in a day.• Sharm-el-Sheikh in 2

days.

The 6 Day War• A key Israeli objective

was control of East Jerusalem – which contained the Wailing Wall – Judaism’s most holy site.

• In desperate hand-to-hand fighting, the entire city was captured in 3 days, along with the entire West Bank region.

• Jordan’s King Hussein sued for peace.

The 6 Day War

• Israel now found itself ruling over large numbers of additional Palestinian Arabs – those who did not flee across the Allenby Bridge into Jordan.

The 6 Day War

• In the Golan Heights, fighting continued for another 3 days, but Israeli Armour smashed through again.

• On June 10, Syrian resistance collapsed with Israeli forces only 20 miles from Damascus.

Outcomes of the War• The world was shocked by the

scale of the Israeli victory.• However, Israel’s refusal to

abide by UN Resolution 272, which called upon them to withdraw from occupied territory, meant that Israel now had to cope not only with hostile neighbours, but with large numbers of potential enemies within their borders – on the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip in particular.

• Palestinian statelessness continued to be a stumbling block preventing peace.

Outcomes of the War• In the 1970s Palestinian

terrorists sought targets outside Israel too.

• At the Munich Olympics a faction calling itself Black September murdered 11 Israeli athletes before security forces killed them.

• At Lydda airport, 100 casualties resulted from a gun battle between security forces and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

• Bombings and aircraft hijacking became commonplace as Palestinians sought to focus world attention on their problems.

The Yom Kippur War• Two factors led to a joint

Egyptian-Syrian attack on Israel in October, 1973.

• The first was pressure on the Arab states by Palestinians, particularly from PLO leader Yasser Arafat.

• The second was a Russian warning that Israel planned to attack them.

The Yom Kippur War• President Sadat, who had

ruled Egypt since 1970, felt the time was right to recapture its lost territories.

• This time Jordan and its Arab Legion remained on the sideline – Hussein only recently having clashed violently with the PLO and throwing them out of Jordanian territory.

The Yom Kippur War

• The Arab forces attacked during the Jewish feast of Yom Kippur, catching the Israeli’s off guard.

• At first their success was dramatic.

• The Bar Lev Line on the Suez Canal was breached.

• Israel lost many aircraft to Soviet built SAMs

The Yom Kippur War• With equipment losses

mounting and domestic resupply impossible, the Israelis turned to America for help.

• A massive airlift was launched, bringing enough equipment to turn the tide.

• US forces also went on alert, making it clear that Soviet intervention would not be tolerated.

The Yom Kippur War• Against Syria, the Israeli

Air Force found a way to confound Syrian SAMS by flying with avionics equipment turned off.

• Soon 1,000 Syrian tanks were destroyed.

• In the Sinai an Israeli counter-stroke crossed the canal and cut off the Egyptian 3rd Army on the western side.

The Yom Kippur War• The Soviets and

Americans jointly arranged a cease-fire.

• However, the two sides continued unwilling to compromise.

• Israel refused to give up conquered territory.

• Egypt and Syria refused to accept the existence of a Jewish Israeli state.

Peace

• However, Egypt’s Sadat was determined to turn away from being a Soviet client – which brought it closer to the US.

• In 1977 Anwar Sadat made an unprecedented trip to Israel, where he addressed its Knesset and appealed for peace between the two countries.

Peace• Sadat was risking all as it

alienated Egypt’s Arab Allies with no guarantee of a successful overture – especially given the recent election of rightist Menachem Begin and his Likud Party in Israel.

• Nonetheless, progress was made and Begin became the first Israeli leader to visit Cairo.

Peace• Little progress was made in

1978, but US President Carter invited both Middle Eastern leaders to Camp David, where they put together a draft treaty in March, 1979.– Sadat ended the 30 year state of

war between Egypt and Israel and offered full diplomatic recognition.

– Begin offered to pull out of the Sinai and restore it to Egypt – even if it meant bulldozing Jewish settlements. He also promised autonomy for Arabs in Gaza and the West Bank.

finis