The Six Day War in 1967 marked a turning-point for Arab-Israeli relationships. The conflict was short and bloody. It involved Israel, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. Israel Defense Forces (IDF), after years of diplomatic disagreements, pre-emptively launched airstrikes on Egypt (Shlaim, Louis, 2012). Israel then seized Gaza Strip and Sinai in Egypt, Golan Heights in Syria, East Jerusalem & West Bank & West Bank in Jordan. The UN brokered ceasefire, which ended the conflict quickly. However, the legacy of this conflict still dictates Arab-Israeli Relations. The Arab world saw the end to Nasser’s pan-Arab nationalism and, in response, a return to conservative Islam. Fundamentalism in the Arab world led to an upsurge in terrorism. The terrorism is now regularly used by the Arab side to discredit it in Arab-Israeli affairs. In a similar way, Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War boosted conservative Zionism among Jews. In part because of this boost to right-wing fundamentalists, Israeli foreign policies towards the Arabs are still dominated by their culture. Most important is, however, the bilateral relationship between the US and Israel that was born out of the Six Day War. Israel’s military and economy continue to grow stronger as a result of the dangerous codependence created by the relationship. The Six Day War was a catalyst for extremism, both in the Arabs and Israelis worlds. It also led to US interference and ruined Arab-Israeli ties.
Israel and their allies frequently use the Six Day War in Arab Israeli relations to discredit Arab Foreign Policy. In the early twentieth century, efforts were made to build a pan Arab nationalalism that was aligned more with liberalists and socialists than traditional Islam. Nasserism – a new form of nationalism that was inspired by the ideas of Nasser as Egypt’s second president – was the strongest expression of this nationalistic fervor. The model was designed to promote unity among Arabs against Western colonialism. The Six Day War led to the demise of Nasserism, and the return of Islamic fundamentalism. Many Arabs believed that the abandonment of Islam was responsible for the 1967 loss. After the War, Islamic groups became more powerful as nationalists began to abandon liberal and socialist ideologies for fundamentalism. Ayman al Zawahri’s story illustrates the rise of fundamentalism. Ayman told a story of how, at fifteen years old, the defeat in 1967, and the execution a few months earlier of SayyidQutb the spiritual leader for the Muslim Brotherhood had inspired him to found an organization that would seek to replace Nasser through an islamist caliphate. Fawaz Gerges concluded, after interviewing those who later joined Islamic Jihadists groups, that the defeat of the six-day war was a pivotal event in helping to understand why Islamic militants have become such a powerful force in the Middle East. Ayman al Zawahri, who called for the liberation of Palestine, became the leader of an Islamic Jihad faction in 1978. Islamic Jihad assassinated Egyptian president Anwar Sadat by 1981. Sadat signed a peace agreement with Israel two years prior. Osama and Ayman, Zawahri included, issued the ‘World Islamic Front against Jews And Crusaders Fatwa’ in 1988. This kind of extremism has frequently been used by Israel to discredit Arab foreign policy in Arab-Israeli relations – “Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon now presides over the UN Security Council. It means that, in essence, a terrorist organization is now the head of the UN Security Council, which is tasked with ensuring the security of the world (Netanyahu 2011). Israel’s Prime Minster, Benjamin Netanyahu, is open about the fact that Islamic Fundamentalism has been used as a tool to discredit Arabs. These events changed the American public’s opinion towards us” (Netanyahu). The Six Day War saw the end of pan-Arab nationalism, which was a pre-war ideology, and the return of fundamentalist Islam, according to Israelis, that would pollute the future of Arabic foreign policy. Israel’s mood on June 10 1967 was one of euphoria. A young nation that had been relatively small, Israel had just taken over the Gaza Strip & Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. They also took the Golan Heights in Syria and East Jerusalem & the West Bank out of Jordan. The country had just celebrated its victory against much of Arab society. In the years before the war, there was a dispute within Judaism regarding Zionism. Many Orthodox Jews believed that returning to Israel would be forbidden until the Messiah arrived. Now, many saw that the conquest was a’sign from God’s providence.’ This legitimised the occupation. Hillel Cook, Zionist leader and spokesman for the Zionist party, shared this opinion: ‘The IDF is absolute sanctity. It represents rule by the Lord’s people in His land”. Although some Jews argued in favor of returning the occupied Arab territories, the conquest gave a powerful voice those who advocated a continued occupation. This led to a rise in popularity for Jewish fundamentalists and the idea of a “Greater Israel”. “It is a major factor in the rise of a right-wing messianic ideology and expansionism which did not exist prior to 1967. Israel’s takeover of the West Bank was followed by an explosion in settlement building. These became major obstacles to peace. Israel’s secular government remained in place after the 1967 victory. Six Day War however, had empowered Zionists. Six Years Later, following the Yom Kippur War and a Coalition of Political Conservatives and Religious Zionists. The fundamentalist conservatism that was at the forefront of Israeli politics for over 40 years continues to be the driving force behind Israeli policy. ‘…the Six Day War is a permanent teaching that has shaped Israeli foreign policy ever since Israel refused to sign a peace deal with Egypt. Israel has been “favouring expansion over security” since the Six Day War. Israel is found to be “continuing to enforce severe, discriminatory restrictions against Palestinians’ rights”. It has also restricted movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza Strip.
The Six Day War is the origin of the current US-Israeli relationship. The relationship is characterized by the continued blocking of peace negotiations and the continuous strengthening of Israel’s economic and military strength. US support of Israel was weak before 1967. It is true that there have been many instances of conflict. In 1956 President Eisenhower, together with England and France, made Israel give up Sinai after its invasion. The Six Day War radically altered this position. In the early 1960s, British bases began to be removed from the Gulf area (Telhami Indyk Stein 2017). Arabs wanted weapons so badly that they were willing to give up their land to the Soviets in exchange of weapons. The US was forced to take direct action in order to achieve both of its priorities: stopping the Soviet Union and ensuring oil flow. Israel’s victory over Nasser was a huge service to the US. Nasser, a symbol for secular, independent Arab nationalism, posed a threat to US leadership in a certain sphere (Chomsky,2002). It was therefore strategic to give support to Israel after its conquest of 1967. Israel is used by the US as a satellite to influence the Middle East. The Arab-Israeli relationship has been shaped by this support ever since. Israel is a nation the US needs to be worried about. Israel would then become part of Middle East and be the region’s most advanced nation, similar to Luxembourg and Switzerland. Israel’s utility to the US will be reduced in this scenario, since the country is reliant on the US for its entire reliability. US vetoed 42 resolutions on Palestine in the UN Security Council, thus blocking the way to a peaceful settlement. More than half of the 83 times that they used their veto have been in this case. Israel is dependent on US military and financial strength. It receives $3.1 billion military aid, and $8 in guarantee loan. The Six Day War marked a new relationship between the US and Israel that frames pro-Israel relations between Arabs and Israelis.
The Six-Day War marked a turning point in Arab-Israeli relations. Israel captured territory from three Arab countries in just six days. The Arab world saw the defeat as a failure of Nasserism, and the return to Islamic extremism. Later this fundamentalism would undermine Arabic foreign policies. Israel’s conquest was a turning point in its history, as it ushered the religious Zionism movement into the mainstream, giving a boost to the nationalistic conservative sector that continues to dominate and set the agenda for their expansive international policy. As far as international implications go, the 1967 war established the strongest relationship between Arabs and Israelis. Israel developed an economic and military dependence on US that would lead to peace settlements in this region being blocked. The Six Day War was a major event in the history of Israel and the US. Its effects, though beneficial to certain parties (Israel and US), have continued to cause problems for Arab Israeli relations.
